The Greatest Virtue
by SwayPippin
Summary: Riddick lets Jack live with him, but as she gets older, Riddick's views on her change. What will happen to our favorite little misfit and her handsome yet overbearing companion?
1. Chapter 1 Stay With Me

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter 1

Stay With Me

Richard Riddick was a hard ass and he was a cocky son of a bitch, but he was a good man, deep down inside. Jack was the only one who even, rarely, got a glimpse of this man inside him. She loved him with everything she had, but she knew she could never just come out and tell him this. How was she supposed to say it? It sounded so stupid in her head, 'Hey, Riddick, I just thought you should know, I love you, man.' Right.

After their escape from that cursed planet, Jack and Riddick took Imam to New Mecca, where he was headed before the crash. Imam said his goodbye's and wished Jack the best in her pursuit of life. He told Riddick to always take care of the girl. And reminded them both that this was his home and he would always be there if ever they were in need of him.

"Mr. Riddick," Imam said turning his back to his two companions, "Allah be with you."

Riddick scoffed, "Right holy man."

When Imam was far enough away from the skiff, Riddick began powering it up. Jack sat silently in the navigator's seat to the right of Riddick. She watched his every move, trying to just breathe. She had no idea what Riddick was going to do with her. She figured he was going to be like everyone else she had encountered in her 13 years. He would just leave her on the nearest planet he could find. She had all but expected him to pawn her off on Imam. But to her surprise, he said nothing about it.

Riddick had the skiff completely powered up and told Jack to prepare for take off. The ship lifted off with a slight vibration. Jack closed her eyes as they exited the planets atmosphere, this sight always made her nauseous. Jack didn't want to say anything to Riddick for fear that she would piss him off. So she sat quietly day dreaming about him, trying not to think of the horrors they had gone through together a short five weeks ago. She fidgeted with her hands for a short time before unbuckling herself from her seat to go to the back of the cabin.

"Where you goin', kid?" Riddick asked as she walked behind his seat.

"Bathroom," she replied not looking back at him.

Riddick smiled to himself for a moment and thought, 'girls and the bathroom.' He had to think about what he was going to do with this girl. She was just a kid. He was an escaped convict, sure everyone now thought him dead, but what if someone found out. What if some merc son of a bitch stopped him and recognized him? What would become of the girl? Usually he wouldn't give a shit about some little thirteen year old girl but this one was different. She sparked some sort of change in him. At some point back on that planet, she made him lose a small part of what he was. As he had said, 'Riddick died some where back on that planet.'

Riddick decided to let the girl choose what she was going to do. He would give her a few options. For one, be left on some unknown planet and fend for her self. Two, Go back and stay with Imam, why didn't he mention this sooner… Or three, stay with him, be on the look out all the time. Always watching their backs. He sat for a while thinking about what he would do with a teenage girl, if she did decide to stay with him, which, he had a feeling she would do.

Jack left the bathroom; she had washed her face off and taken off her tattered brown striped shirt. She was worried about Riddick, he had been silent for most of the trip, didn't say much to her or Imam. She didn't know really how to talk to him. He was the reason for her getting on that damned ship any way. She had heard on the streets that Richard B. Riddick had been caught by some merc named Johns and was being transported from her planet to some slam somewhere. That's when she decided that she just _had_ to be on that ship. Maybe she would catch a glimpse of the man that she had idolized since she ran away from her foster home. She wanted to be just like him, feared, respected, dangerous.

"So, kid," Riddick said as Jack sat back in her seat, "what you wanna do?"

"Huh?"

"The way I see it is you got a few options. I can take you to a planet of your choice, or back to the hoodoo man." He decided to omit the whole staying with him part.

Jack sat thinking about what to say for a few seconds, "Can't I stay with you?" She dared to ask.

Riddick looked at her, eyebrows raised, "Why would you want to do that? My life is no place for a young girl like you, kid."

"But I have no one else to go to." She fought to keep from getting choked up. She didn't want him to just leave her like everyone else had. She wanted to stay with him. He would keep her safe, she knew it.

"Well, kid, I don't know the first thing about taking care of a child. I have never had to worry about anyone else. If a merc comes I won't be able to keep you safe and watch my own ass. And I'm not going to be able to run if you are with me. You'll just slow me down." He was blunt to the point of sounding rude, to the young girl.

Tears welled up in Jack's eyes, "I won't get in the way, I promise. And everyone thinks you are dead. How will they find you?" Her voice cracked as she spoke and she turned her head to keep him from seeing her tears.

Riddick didn't answer. He could smell the salt in her tears; he didn't have to see her face to know she was crying. He knew he couldn't just leave her all alone. She kind of reminded him of himself as a young child. Jack wiped the tears from her face and looked at Riddick expecting some sort of answer. Riddick didn't return the look. 'Damn' he thought to himself.

"Alright, kid." Was his only reply.

He just told a thirteen year old girl she could stay with him, what was he thinking? He didn't know the first thing about kids, not to mention the whole lot less he knew about kid girls. He couldn't tell her 'no' even if he wanted to. There was something about this girl, something in her got to him. He was a mass murderer for the love of God; he wasn't supposed to fraternize with kids.

Thoughts swam around his head as he flew the skiff through the endless stars. 'What are you doing, old man?' 'This kid is going to be the death of you.' 'You can't play babysitter when you're running from the merc's and the bounty hunters.' The one that won his concentration was the one he had the hardest time dealing with, 'Keep the kid safe, she needs you.'

A/N: I wrote this a while back, but I thought it may be a good one to post here. Please let me know what you think. Sway


	2. Chapter 2 Night Time Terror's

Disclaimer: Again, none of these characters are mine.

Chapter 2

Night Time Terror's

Screams woke him up every night; this one was no different from any of the others. He lumbered out his bedroom door and into hers, in the pitch black of night, though he had no problem seeing in it. He walked slowly across the room and sat down on the edge of her bed. With almost no effort at all, he grabbed her and pulled her trembling body into his lap. With one hand, he rubbed her sweat soaked hair from her face.

"Its okay kid, I'm here now." He said in that same deep rumbling voice.

She was trembling and sobbing, "I don't see you, Riddick." She extended her hand to touch his face.

Riddick closed his eyes so she could run her finger tips over his face, "I'm here."

Jack traced his lips with her fingers as he spoke. "I dreamed you left me there. That you were going to let me die, and you didn't even care."

"Never," He pulled her up to his chest and cradled her in his arms, wiping away her tears.

"It's been three years, Jack, and your nightmares don't seem to be getting any better. Tell me what I can do. I want to help you, but I don't know how. I've taken you to so many therapists and psychologists, nothing's helping. Just tell me what to do, kid, and I'll do it. No questions asked."

Jack sighed, "I don't know." She clutched one of his large hands in hers and pulled it to her face. Feeling the warmth of his skin against hers was one thing that always chased her fears away. That and she loved being close to him.

Riddick left his hand there for a moment, lost in his thoughts, when he realized where his hand actually was he pulled it away slowly. "Okay kid, go back to sleep. Everything is alright now." He moved her from his lap back to the bed and stood up. With one last swoop of his hand, to remove hair from her face, he turned to walk away.

Jack protested, "NO! Don't leave me!" She grabbed Riddick's hand.

Riddick turned around, "Jack, it's time to go back to bed, you know that I am just in the next room. If you need me I'll be right here, in a second." He tried to pull his hand away but Jack clung onto him with all her might.

"No, Riddick please, just stay with me like you used to."

"I can't, Jack; you are old enough to sleep by your self. You don't need me to sleep with you. 'Sides you are getting older now and it's not right for me to be sleeping with you."

"Please, just till I fall asleep. That's all. I swear." She tugged at his hand.

Riddick growled, "okay, but only until you fall asleep, then I'm back in my bed. Not a second later."

Jack smiled and scooted over, "Okay, just till then."

Riddick lay down in the bed on his back, beside her. Jack scooted up against Riddick, her back to his side. She huffed and puffed a few times and squirmed around in the bed.

Riddick opened his eyes and looked over at her, not that she could see him, "Now what?"

"You gotta hold me otherwise I'm never going to go to sleep and you could be here all night." She smiled to herself, hoping Riddick couldn't see it.

Riddick huffed and rolled over on his side. He put his right arm over Jack's stomach and pulled her closer to him. He inhaled the sweet smell of her silky brown hair and said, "That better?"

Jack giggled a little, "much."

Riddick lay there thinking about how wrong it was for him to be in the bed with her, her being only sixteen, but something wouldn't let him leave. He listened to her breathing; it was softer and slower than before. She was asleep now; he didn't have see her to be able to tell that. He lay there a few minutes longer before deciding it was time to go back to his own bed. He pulled his arm back to his own body and got up cautiously, to keep from waking her. He stood staring at her, watching her sleep, for a long while. He rubbed his bald head with his left hand and sighed. He thought to himself 'what in the hell are you doing, pervert,' as he turned and slid out the open door.

He plopped down on his bed and his thoughts were racing. What was it that had changed him so much? Why did this young girl matter so much to him? Why was it that he seemed to never be able to look at her face enough? But most of all, why was she the last thing he thought of when he went to sleep and the first thing he thought of when he woke up? These were stupid questions. He knew that he couldn't care about her; he didn't care about any one. It was just an instinct, since she was living with him. That's what it had to be.

A/N: Please Read and Review, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with this one, let me know what you guys think. Sway


	3. Chapter 3 History

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter 3

History

Life with Riddick was unlike anything Jack could have ever imagined. Sure, it was exciting at times and Riddick taught her to take care of herself, but for the most part, it was just the two of them, enjoying each other's company.

The first year after Jack decided to stay with him, she saw many men make this mistake of crossing him. She _almost_ felt sorry for them sometimes. Riddick, however, didn't feel bad about hurting them; he did what he had to do. He not only had to protect himself, he now had this girl; one that for some reason or another, he gave a damn about, to protect.

There was one guy in a bar, which Jack wasn't supposed to be in anyway, that tried hitting on Jack. That was a mistake on his part. Once his hand touched Jack's thigh, Riddick was out of his chair and had the guy five feet in the air, by the throat. Jack was in shock, she didn't know what to do. What she supposed to defend the guy? Or was she supposed to let Riddick kill him? It was something that would boggle anyone's mind.

Riddick didn't say a word to the guy; he simply threw him across the bar into a pool table. Once the guy hit, Riddick was back on him, He grabbed the guy by the throat again and proceeded to slam him head first into the table, repeatedly. It wasn't until he noticed the crowd that was growing around them, that he dropped the guy to the ground.

"You should watch who you fuck with." He growled.

Jack ran from her stool toward Riddick and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's go, we have to get out of here. We don't need any more attention."

She tugged on Riddick's massive bicep until he finally gave in and followed her out of the bar. Jack decided it was best for them to run for cover, due to the sound of the rapidly approaching sirens. She pulled him into the nearest door she could find, slamming it shut behind them.

Jack began pacing in the small hallway, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Riddick's face screwed up in confusion. "What? He touched you, so I took care of it."

Jack grunted, "Ugh! You don't always have to be Billy Bad-ass, you know. I could have taken him myself. All you did was bring attention to us. Like we need that."

Riddick was officially confused now. "What? Hey now, I'm the one that runs this show! I told you I'd take care of you and so I am. Don't go and get all maternal on me now. I never had a mother growing up and I definitely don't need one that is fifteen years younger than I am!"

"Fine, I won't say another word to you! I'm just fifteen, what do I know!" She threw her hands up in the air as she spoke.

'_He's such an ass hole sometimes. Why do I put up with him? He's only going to go and cause us more trouble. Ugh! Men! He's such a sissy when it comes to me. Why does he have to be so damned protective? You'd think I was his kid or something.'_

Jack thought as she paced more around the room, not really noticing the people that were now emerging from their doors. As it would seem, she had pulled him into the hall way of an apartment building. And on lookers were intrigued by the voices they heard. This wasn't good.

Riddick glanced down the hall, past the still pacing Jack, and looked at the heads that were poking out of the cracks in the doors. It looked like some messed up coat rack. There were heads lining the halls, all poking out their doors at different heights.

Riddick shook his head, "Kid, we need to go now. I think we've drawn more attention than we need."

Jack silently agreed. _'Oh sure now he agrees with me. That's so like him.'_

Riddick grabbed Jack by the arm and led her into the dark alley from which they came. The sirens were now at the bar they had left, but it was several hundred yards from where they now were, so they didn't have anything to worry about.

Riddick and Jack didn't talk to one another on the way back to their apartment; both were too busy watching out for mercs and cops.

Normally they would never have left the comfort of their house and gone to such a populated place, but it was Jack's birthday. Her fifteenth birthday. Riddick thought it would be a nice venture for them to go out and have a drink or two, never mind Jack was under age. As he had said 'I was drinking before I was twelve, so why shouldn't you.' Jack didn't really want to drink but she did want to get out of the house, so she went along.

It never fails, every time he tries to do something nice for her, some one goes and messes it up. But she did appreciate the thought, it made her smile.

Then there was the time, after Jack turned sixteen that Riddick caught her making out with a guy outside a movie theatre. He wasn't happy about that. But he said he 'thought the guy was hurting her.' Right.

That guy, Jasen as it was later revealed, was Jack's boyfriend. They had been seeing each other for three months, which was one of the longest times they had stayed in the same city. Riddick played it off though. He told Jack he didn't know she had a boyfriend. (This was because she was afraid he would do exactly what he did.)

Riddick jumped the Jasen from behind, pulling him off of Jack by the back of the neck. He didn't hurt this one half as bad as the other one, but none the less, the guy was hurting. Riddick only hit him five or six times in the face, but with a fist like that of his, it's a miracle the guy didn't die.

Needless to say, Riddick packed his and Jack's things up that night and they were off to another planet.

Jack didn't like the fact that Riddick made her move around so much because it was hard for her to make friends. She just wanted to have a normal life, but living with Riddick, it was impossible.

He mentioned sending her off to a private school somewhere, once, but she wouldn't hear of it. She only truly felt safe when he was around, and he wasn't going to be able to be around if she was shipped off. So, the answer was no.

She did get an education though. She took these video classes which she had to send in her assignments over the computer. It was a bit difficult to send some of them in, especially when they traveled into a black out zone, but she managed. Riddick insisted that she finish school, because he hadn't.

Even having lived together for three years, there was so much they didn't know about each other. Jack opened up easily but for some reason, she couldn't get Riddick to talk to her about his past.

He did tell her what his whole name was and where it came from. When he was left in that dumpster outside of the liquor store, the manager of the store found him. He was badly malnourished and sick, so the man took him in. But he was only with that man for a few weeks, because child services took him. He was then placed in a foster home but that didn't last long either, he was taken away again. He was made to stay in an orphanage until age thirteen, when he ran away. The last name of the man who initially found him was Riddick, the last name of the foster family who had him after that was Barrett, and the name of the orphanage was St. Richard's Home for Unwanted Children. So Richard Barrett Riddick was born, the boy with no family, who grew up to be the number one most feared individual in two hundred years.

A/N: I had to reload this due to some typo's, please let me know what you think, reviews help along the writingprocess. I will update as soon as I can. Sway


	4. Chapter 4 The Face of Death

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

A/N: Just a little back ground, when Jack left with Riddick and Imam, she was 13 almost 14, so that's why she's almost 18 three years later... Just thought I'd clear that up. Enjoy! Sway

Chapter 4

The Face of Death

Jack, being nearly eighteen, and Riddick, who was fifteen years older than Jack, at the age of thirty-three, moved around so often, it was hard for either of them to make friends. Riddick wasn't keen on having people around him, he rather liked it just being him and Jack, but she wanted to have girlfriends and more than that, boyfriends. The only real friend they had was Imam, who had been contacting them less and less over the past year.

Jack often spoke about visiting Imam, but Riddick ignored her request. She knew Riddick and Imam didn't get along well, the only reason Riddick didn't kill him, Jack thought, was because he, Riddick, was afraid that act would guarantee his one way ticket straight to hell. After all, it was he who said 'I absolutely believe in God and I absolutely hate the fucker.' So, it was true, he believed, but he didn't take the whole concept too seriously, if he had, he probably wouldn't have killed so many people… then again… maybe he would have.

Jack once asked Riddick how many people he had killed, his reply was: "I've killed too many people to sit down and tell you about, it would take months, possibly years, and a young girl like you doesn't need to know the number anyway. As for the media claiming I've killed two hundred and thirty-seven, those are just the ones they've found. What they don't know won't hurt them."

Jack was too curious for her own good, it was true, but she just had to know more. She asked him why he had killed so many people; his answer this time was much shorter. He said "Some people need killing."

Riddick was never one to tell anything he didn't think needed to be heard. He was still very secretive with Jack even when she insisted that he tell her the answers she wanted.

"Jack! Get your ass out of the bed!" Riddick bellowed from outside her closed door.

Jack's eyes snapped open and she grumbled. "Okay okay."

She heard the sound of Riddick's massive feet walking away from her door, and wondered why he wanted to wake her up. Glancing over at the clock on her night stand, she saw it was two o'clock in the afternoon, that's why he woke her.

"Ugh." She rolled out of her bed and stepped onto the carpet below her, stretching as she stood up.

Dragging her feet over to the bed room door she slid it open, and stuck her head out, "Riddick, why did you let me sleep so late?"

Riddick's massive body appeared from behind the corner of the hallway, he was standing in their sitting room. "Let you? Kid, I tried to wake you up. Now get a move on, I've got shit to do." He disappeared behind the wall again as he spoke to her.

Jack groaned again, "Shit to do… I'll show you shit to do."

She walked out of her bed room and glanced into Riddick's open door, which was straight across the hall from hers. His bed was perfectly made, as it always was, and the floor was free of debris. She looked back into her room, the bed was a mess, there were clothes all over her floor; it looked like a bomb had gone off in there, so she pulled her door shut. There was one thing Riddick couldn't stand, and that was a messy house. Jack often wondered how a mass murderer such as he was could be so obsessive compulsive about maintaining a clean house; it wasn't like blood was the cleanest thing in the world and God knows he's spilled plenty of that.

She turned left from her door and walked straight into the bath room. She looked at herself in the mirror which hung over the sink, her appearance had changed in many ways since she and Riddick left that cursed planet. Her head wasn't shaved anymore, she had long dark brown hair which hung down her back resting loosely on her waist, she was still as skinny as ever but now she looked more like a woman than she did a boy. Her features were chiseled into her as if she was made of stone, giving her the perfect hourglass shape. Though the one thing she hated about her body was that her hip bones stuck out and make her look like she's anorexic.

All in all, Jack has matured into a very beautiful young woman and Riddick… well Riddick's just Riddick. He was still the same bald headed, goggle wearing, muscle bound, pig headed, murderous maniac. But that's what made him so wonderful, in Jack's eyes.

Jack took a quick shower and once she was finished, she wrapped a towel around her and hurried to her bed room. Riddick didn't like it when she walked out of the bathroom in a towel, so she always checked to see if he was in sight, this time, he wasn't.

She turned the lights on in her room and let hew towel drop to the floor so she could get dressed. She threw on a pair of light jeans, which in truth had seen better days, they were ripped up and down the legs and one of the pockets in the front had a hole in it. She rummaged through her closet to find a shirt, and settled on a black tank top.

She stepped out of her room as she toweled her hair dry and almost ran straight into Riddick's chest.

"Whoa there, kid" He said glaring down at her from behind his goggles.

She looked up into his face secretly hating those damned goggles, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

Riddick moved slightly to his right and looked over Jack's head into her room. She noticed this and closed her door quickly with a shy smile.

"Jack, you need to pick the shit up out of your room." He growled.

She scoffed, "I know, I know, mom."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. The lights were not on in the house so he pushed his goggles up to his forehead as he spoke to her. "No, I am not your mother, nor am I your father, but I am the man that provides for you, so you will do as I ask. Got it?"

Jack rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I got it."

Riddick's silvery eyes bore into Jack's face. He was amazed that she wasn't afraid of him, not in the least bit. Usually people cowered before him, especially when he spoke in that dangerous husky growling voice he had just used. She always amazed him, her courage, persistence, defiance, caring, everything about her was something he didn't quite understand, but that could be the reason she interested him.

"Kid, if you'd just pick the shit up when you take it off, we wouldn't have these little arguments. All I ask of you is to clean up your room and occasionally the house and you won't do that for me. It's not like I've asked you to get a job." His eyes searched hers.

She blinked up at him lazily. "Yeah. I know."

'_Why does she have to be so damned difficult? If people just did what I asked them to do, things would go so much smoother, but no, they can't do that…Why didn't I just kill her when I had the chance? My life would be so much easier… Wow, look at those jeans… No! Don't look at them! That's wrong. What are you? A pedophile?' _

Riddick shook his head and pulled his goggles back down over the pools of molten silver that were his eyes. "Look, I've got shit to do. You pick up that damn room before I come back. Okay?"

He wasn't going to wait for a response, he didn't need one. He turned on his heel and strode down the hall, disappearing behind the wall.

Jack flung her door open, causing it to slide too far in the space cut into the wall. "DAMN!" she yelled. "Stupid fucking door."

She tugged at the door, but it wasn't going to come out. When she was angry, nothing went her way. This door was much like a scolded dog; it wasn't coming out no matter what she did.

Riddick turned around when he heard Jack's commotion and began walking back toward her. "Kid, if you didn't have to get all pissed off, you wouldn't always do shit like this." He reached out for her door but she pushed his hands out of the way. "Damn it, Jack, just let me fix it!"

She whipped around, slinging her wet hair over her shoulders, "I can do this myself, thanks."

Riddick gave a deep throaty grunt. "Fine! Do it your damn self. See if I try and help you again."

With that he hit the wall, flat handed, causing it to shake under him. He then turned abruptly and took long strides down the hall.

Jack huffed and pulled at the door with all her might.

'_Fuck him. Ass hole. 'Clean your room, Jack, do this Jack, do that Jack.' Fuck that shit. I'll show you do this do that. Men! UGH!'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of the front door; it was obvious Riddick was a bit angry when he left. Why else would he have slammed the door?

Jack gave the door one last tug, using all of her frustrations, and it came gliding out, but she hadn't expected it to move so it sent her flying back into the frame. She hit her back and tripped over her own foot which caused her to land a few feet inside her room, on the floor, and hit her head on the wall behind her.

"Mother fucker!" She said rubbing the back of her head.

Meanwhile, Riddick was walking swiftly down the street, flexing the muscles in his jaw as he went.

'_What the hell was that about? 'I can do it myself!' Right. And I can bake cookies. Women! What the hell makes them so damned temperamental? There's no need getting all pissed off over something as stupid as cleaning. Sure, it isn't fun, but it's something that has to be done. Just do it when you have to and there aren't any problems… Damn. She's never going to learn. Getting mad over a fucking door… Jesus… Christ, Dickey what are you doing? You have a job to do, why are you worrying about the little brat?'_

He walked down the sidewalk, occasionally bumping into people but he didn't pay them any attention. Riddick was much larger than most of the people he met were, having spent more than half his life in one slam or another; he had nothing better to do than tone his body. All of the muscles gave him an advantage over most men, he looked extremely intimidating and this caused him to never have a problem when he was being arrogant and bumping into people as he passed them.

Once he stopped walking, he was standing in front of a large gray brick building with no windows and only one door, a red door. He looked up the front of the building and rubbed his right hand back from his forehead to the top of his head then to the back of his neck.

"Guess it's time." He sighed as he began walking toward the door.

Once he reached the large red door, he knocked three times and waited. He could hear locks sliding open and slowly the door opened. A tall man with dark brown shoulder length hair stood in front of him. The man had a look of the purest horror etched on his face as he gazed down at Riddick's massive size.

He cleared his throat, "Is there something I can do for you sir?"

Riddick gave a hollow chuckle. "I think you know what I'm here for, and don't 'sir' me."

The man took a step back as Riddick stepped into the door way, and almost fell back ward. Riddick reached behind him as he glared at the three other people in the room and pulled the door shut with a loud bang.

The room fell deadly silent as every person in there stared into the face of death.

A/N: And here's another chapter, I hope you guys liked it. I'm surprised I've gotten so many reviews so far, I didn't think anyone would like this one. Let me know what you think and if you want me to keep writing. I'll try and get another chapter up soon. Sway


	5. Chapter 5 Just a Scratch

Chapter 5

Just a Scratch

_Riddick's POV _

I stepped into the door, closing it hard behind me, I've found, in my line of work, loud noises are the key. There's nothing better than causing a grown man to piss himself, and I must say, I am good at that. Not that I like to toot my own horn or anything. Ah hell, who am I lying to…? Toot toot.

Looking around the room, I've just realized these people don't stand a chance. There's the guy that opened the door, tall skinny, long nasty hair, what's he going to do? Drip his grease on the floor so I slip? Ha!

There are two other people in here, besides myself and the nasty guy; they're sitting at a table about fifteen feet from me. One is a short fat bald man, looks like he's constipated… The other is a man about my height, similar build, but I think he's fat instead of muscle… They shouldn't be any problem for me.

"Okay, now which one of you thinks you can take me?" I scanned the room. No one stood up or even flinched. "No one?"

I took a step forward, and glared down at them with the meanest look I could muster. I could almost swear I felt the room shiver.

_'Awe, they're scared. How sad.' _

I took a few more steps forward, now I am about six feet or so from the people at the table. They've got a bottle of my favorite liquor; I think I'll just help myself.

When I reached out for the bottle, the two men jumped back in their seats, I almost laughed, it's sad to see full grown men as terrified as this; then again, it is a bitter sweet sight. I shrugged it off and removed the cap from the bottle. Before taking a drink, I rolled it in my hands, so I could read the label. Ah, Jack Daniels.

I turned the bottle up and drank down half of the dark liquid in two swallows. The familiar stinging in the back of my throat was nothing. It's been years since I've seen any of this around, it's not something you can come across easily. Maybe this is why I was hired on to, er, take care of these men.

Ah shit, who gives a damn? I'm getting paid for doing what comes naturally to me. It isn't my place to assess the situation and ask questions. Questions only get you into trouble. Better to just trust what you're told. That way you get your money.

It's time to get down to business, no more playing games.

For a more dramatic scene, I slammed the bottle down on the table in front of me, causing it to shatter in my hand, which in turn caused all three men to jump. (I hadn't expected that.) Instead of simply shaking the glass from my hand, I decide to get creative. With one quick movement of my hand, I throw the glass shards into the face of the fat man, causing him to scream in agony.

I do so love the sound of screams in the afternoon.

Fractions of a second after I hit that guy in the face with the glass, the other two men were behind me, trying to get me away from the fat one. It was what I expected to happen, I figure it made things more interesting, for me.

I turned around quickly and grabbed the tall guy by the throat and slammed his body into the table, which broke under his weight, and then the biggest guy tried to punch me. (Bad idea.)

Once everything was said and done, I was standing in the room, with three corpses of men. I, of course, didn't have but a mere scratch on me, which was on my right forearm, back near me elbow. I'm not really sure where or when I got it, but it did sting a bit. Though, it's nothing I can't handle.

In retrospect, I've had much worse, this was nothing.

I looked around the room at the blood stained walls, at the broken table, then into the faces of the three men I had just killed. I remember every face of every person I've ever killed, a bit of a token I suppose. Even in death, their faces were frozen with the look of being completely horrorstruck. It's almost a comical sight, I think every person should see it at least once, I think it does a body good. Shows you just how much control you have over others. And I, of course, always have control.

When I left the room, I closed the door and pulled the handle clean out of the steel of the door. No one needed to be going in there any time soon. Once the men were missing for about a month, the building would be broken into and being the kind of guy I am, I will have the last laugh. Ugh. Can you imagine the smell? It's enough to turn even my stomach. Ha ha it's going to be great! Definitely unexpected.

And once these ass holes are found, no one will even expect me, I don't exist anymore. Well, this is the first hint, this is the only clue they're going to be getting from me.

Ouch, okay maybe I don't have just a scratch… Son of a bitch, this sting.

_End Riddick's POV_

Jack was nearly done cleaning up her room and Riddick had only been gone two hours. She thought she was doing well, given the state the room had been in. She had every piece of clothing picked up out of the floor and off of her dresser and sorted into piles; clean, sort of clean, not really sure, dirty, and really dirty.

She was happy with her accomplishment, but wondered if it would be good enough for Riddick's standards. No, she didn't dust or done any of those dismal things, but she had picked up, surely that meant something.

She was engaged in carrying her dirty laundry into the bathroom when she heard the front door open. She strained to see over the pile of clothes in her arms, but as it was no use, she called out to who ever had entered the house.

"Riddick?"

Riddick laughed, "Who else?"

His voice was a relief to her temporary fear. She hadn't thought to lock the door after he left, and living where they did, it was good to lock your doors. When Riddick was home it wasn't a big deal, but if someone saw him leave, and tried to enter the house, Jack was defenseless.

She heard him walking closer to her as he spoke his few words. And she knew he was checking on her progress.

She dropped her pile of clothes in the hamper, which was now over flowing, and hung her head out of the door way. "I hope it's up to your liking."

He was standing a few feet from her, in the doorway of her bed room, looking around. "Looks good, kid. See it isn't that difficult."

She curled her lip, "Yeah, but it's not fun."

He laughed again and flipped off the light in her bed room as well as the hall light. Jack followed suit, knowing he was going to take off his goggles, and turned off the light in the bathroom.

Once all three lights were out, Riddick brought his massive arm up and pulled his goggles off over his head, his silvery eyes glistened as he stared down at Jack.

Anyone could be lost in the beauty of those silvery pools. It was amazing what you could get for the price of ten menthol kools. Then again, he did have the surgery done in slam.

"But, it's something that must be done. There are many things in life that must be done and most are not fun."

He hadn't thought about the so called scratch he had on his arm when he brought it up to remove his goggles. Jack noticed it, that girl doesn't miss anything.

She reached out for his arm, "Riddick, what happened?"

Concern was more than obvious in her voice.

He looked down at his arm, which was now in Jack's small hands. "Ah, kid, it's just a scratch, nothing to get all maternal about."

Jack pulled his arm closer, to better examine the cut. "It isn't just a scratch you big dumb oaf. You need stitches."

Riddick pulled his arm out of her hands. He didn't like to be referred to as a 'big dumb oaf.' "That will do, kid. I'll take care of it."

Jack glared at him.

"Fine," she said as she pushed past him to enter her room.

As she entered the room, Riddick spun around to look at her, but she, being vengeful, flipped on the lights just as his head turned.

Riddick yelled out, the pain light caused his eyes was one none could relate to. It was much like the feeling of a red hot poker being inserted into one's cornea.

"God damn, Jack!" He bellowed as he covered his eyes with one huge hand.

"Humph!" Jack said as she slid the door shut.

_'What the hell was that all about? All I said was I could take care of it myself. Like I've never had to give myself stitches before. I got through the shine job with out and anesthetic, I can surely give myself a few little stitches. Damn, women are so fucking emotional. Can't you just push a button and turn that shit off? God damn lights! I should just take out all of the fucking bulbs; then she wouldn't pull that shit anymore.' _Riddick thought as he regained his composure.

He would normally have beaten the shit out of someone for intentionally turning a light on is his face, but he couldn't very well do that to Jack. He was supposed to protect her, not kill her.

_Jack's POV _

_'I will take care of it, he says. It's just a scratch, he says. No need to get maternal. Right… Just a scratch my ass. I'm sure he's been in a fight. Or worse... What do I care? He's nothing more than a big dumb oaf. Stupid ass hole. I didn't want to help him anyway. I hope his fucking arm falls off, then we'll see just how good he is at taking care of it himself.' _

God, why is he such an ass? Oh sure, I'm just a kid, I can't do anything to help him. I can't even clean my own room.

Just a kid.

I hate that fucking nick name. I'm almost eighteen, that's got to mean something. He was killing long before he was eighteen, but I'm just a kid. Right…

Ass hole.

I'll show him just a kid. But how… How am I supposed to prove myself? There's nothing I have to offer him that he couldn't get himself.

I wandered the floor in my room for a long while, knowing it was a bitch of a thing to do to turn the lights on in his eyes. But he deserved it. He couldn't very well come in here with the lights on and yell at me, now could he?

Ha ha. I get the last laugh this time, Dickey.

God, I'm hungry. I wonder what's for dinner. I bet he doesn't even cook tonight. Why did I have to go and do an ass hole thing like that? Now I'm never going to get fed. Way to go me.

I flung myself down on my bed, desperately wishing I had some sort of snack in my room. But no… 'Snacks draw bugs.' What the hell kind of logic is that? If I had snacks in here, they wouldn't be around long enough to draw bugs. If I had them, I'd eat them.

He's dead wrong if he thinks I'm going out there. Dead fucking wrong.

_End Jack's POV _

A/N: Ok, heres the next chapter, as promised. I hope you guys are still enjoying it. I would love to hear what you think. You know, reviews do help along the writing process. (ugh here I am begging for reviews, how shallow is that?) Sway


	6. Chapter 6 Kryptonite

Chapter 6

Kryptonite

Jack had been right; Riddick didn't make dinner that night. He wasn't really being an ass hole about it, he wasn't even mad that she had turned the lights on in his face. He was too busy stitching up his arm and talking to 'The Man' about his next job.

He often laughed about the fact that this guy referred to himself as 'The Man.' I'll show you 'the man,' he thought to himself when he first talked to the guy.

'_Who does this guy think he is? 'The Man' Ha!_'

What better job could he have wanted? It's not like he had ever really had a legal job, and killing is what he does best, so this suited him just fine. Though he knew it wasn't a good idea to inform Jack about his new job, she didn't need to know anything about it. If someone found her and questioned her, she wouldn't be lying about not knowing, and that was a good thing.

But they had to find her first, and if Riddick had anything to do with it, she would never be found. She was the only person in the world that could lead others straight to him, which wasn't really a good thing, but Riddick couldn't just tell her to leave. It was him, after all, which made the final decision to keep her with him. His logic was 'who knows what would happen to her. At least with me, I know she's safe. And that holy man… I've heard all about what those types do to young children, and no thanks. With me, she will never be hurt. I'd kill someone for her. Hell, I'd just kill someone.'

It was more of an attachment he had formed to Jack than a love. He wasn't capable of loving, not that he had ever tried. She made something inside him change, and he wanted to investigate that. Never in his life had he even given another person a second thought, not until he met Jack. She was the only reason he had gone back for the holy and Carolyn Frye, if it had been a normal day, he would have taken the power cells to the ship and left them all behind.

But that was before and this is now.

_Riddick's POV_

So, I'm talking to my boss on this radio/ phone that he gave me and he's telling me about my next… er… assignment. I don't mind it, but the last time, he didn't tell me there would be three guys. It's a good damn thing I'm a big man, because that could have turned out differently. And I would not have been amused in the least bit, that would have royally pissed me off, and he could very well have been next on my list.

God, why won't this guy just shut the fuck up? All I need to know is a name and a place; I don't need to know his fucking history. Why do I give a good goddamn where this guy came from? All I know is where I'm sending him, and that's good enough for me.

Ok, damn, after about an hour, I'm off that damn thing. That man has no idea who he is fucking with. Once the person on the other end of the phone goes silent, that should be key to just shut the fuck up. Just quit fucking flapping your dick sucker and hang up. What's wrong with people? Like I give a shit.

I've given myself those damn stitches… I don't know why Jack was so mad about it; in my opinion it's just a scratch. But, I did it to please her. Can't have the kid all mad at me now can I?

Jesus. That kid's going to be the death of me. Sometimes I just want to wring her little neck. She's so annoying, such a woman. Why did I agree to take her in the first place?

Shit fuck, it's midnight. I've got an early day tomorrow, need to go and scope this… what's his name? … Ah, I remember, Kent J. Rockwood. I need to see what I'm dealing with….

What the fuck was that?

_End Riddick's POV_

As Riddick sat, cooped up in his room, doing God knows what, Jack had fallen asleep. Rather early too, she opted to go to sleep rather than go and risk face Riddick. She wasn't sure if he was angry with her or not, so it seemed better to just go to bed hungry.

At midnight, right on the dot, Jack woke up from one of her nightmares, screaming.

Riddick leapt off his bed and ran into Jack's room, almost causing the door to slide too far, again.

He didn't turn on her light as he entered; it wasn't as if he had a problem seeing in the dark.

Once he was right beside her bed, not three seconds after hearing her scream, he almost yelled, "Jack! Jack, it's just a dream!"

She quivered under her blankets and reached out into the darkness for him. "Where are you? I can't see you. Please don't leave me!" Her tears, obvious in her voice.

He sighed, "I'm right here, kid," and he reached out for her hand, grasping it lightly in his own.

This was nothing new; Jack had these nightmares very often, too often. Riddick thought she would have grown out of them by now, but he was wrong. It didn't look like she was ever going to get past it. He supposed an experience like that, isn't something one just up and forgets about. At least, Jack couldn't.

Jack tugged on his hand and gave another involuntary shudder, "Stay with me."

He shook his head from side to side, not that Jack could see the movement, and sighed heavily. "Jack, I can't, you know that. You're almost eighteen, it isn't right for me to sleep with you."

She choked back another wave of tears, she knew it was a dream, but the only thing that made her feel better was when Riddick had her wrapped in his arms. For some unknown reason, she felt like the dreams couldn't touch her when she was asleep in his arms, and the funny thing is, she never had nightmares after she fell asleep with him.

"Please, just this once."

He shifted his weight from his right foot to his left, still holding her hand. "That's what you say every time, kid."

She grumbled, "I mean it this time. I swear!"

Again he answered, "You say that too."

She gave him a rough tug, "Come on, not even for me? I'm just a kid."

He gave in. Yes, he was a murderer and he was what some called a maniac, but he had a soft spot for Jack. "Okay kid, but I'm only staying until you fall asleep."

Jack smiled and scooted over in her bed, to make room for Riddick's massive size. "Okay then, come on. I made room, look." She moved her free hand to the space she had made.

He gave a low growl, "I see it."

With that, Jack let go of his hand and rolled onto her side, with her back toward Riddick. This was the sleeping position she preferred, as did Riddick. It didn't feel right to him, for her to face him when she slept.

Riddick kicked off his shoes and began crawling into Jack's bed. It wasn't as big as his of course, but they made due.

As soon as Riddick was in the bed, Jack rolled over on her back, "You can't wear your nasty jeans in my bed!"

Riddick's mouth fell open and he snapped his head toward her, "What? Don't you go and get picky with me. I'll wear what I want."

It wasn't like she wanted him naked or anything; she just didn't like the feeling of jeans on her bear legs, which was logical.

"Fine, I'll never go to sleep if you don't go put on some shorts. You're going to be here all night."

He rolled his eyes and got out of the bed with out a word. He was going to go change and Jack knew it. She always won these arguments and all she had to do was tell him she would never fall asleep unless he did this or that. She smiled to herself, knowing she had him wrapped around her little finger, in this situation anyway.

A few minutes later, Riddick reentered Jack's room, this time in a pair of black athletic shorts and a black tank top. What other color was he going to wear, right?

He walked lazily across the room toward Jack's bed and once he reached his destination, he sat down on the side of the bed and swung his legs up onto it. Jack scooted closer to him, and realized he was lying on his back. She huffed and puffed a few times which was the signal that she wanted Riddick to lay on his side. He followed suit, knowing she wasn't ever going to go to sleep unless he did.

When his enormous forearm was thrown over her waist, she finally settled down.

She stayed silent for a good ten minutes then decided to speak. "I'm sorry about being such a bitch earlier. And thanks for sleeping with me."

Riddick took a deep breath, taking in the smell of her almost dry tears, "Don't mention it."

It was odd how one's senses enhanced once another sense was impaired. In this case, his sense of smell as well as his hearing and taste took over, even though he could see in the dark. The shine job was a great advantage, but only in the dark. If anyone ever knew he was blinded when lights were in his face, they would use that to their advantage, and he may not be as high and mighty. Luckily though, not many people knew this, and most of who did, were dead. Riddick had heard that even the doctor that did his surgery had died in slam. He was, as far as he knew, the only person on the universe that had ever gotten a shine job, which was good.

Forty-five minutes later, Jack was asleep, and Riddick was too. Normally, he didn't fall asleep in her bed, not since the first six months they had been living together. He didn't think it was at all appropriate for him, a thirty… something year old man, to be sleeping with a child, or rather a young woman who was still under the age of eighteen. He was almost positive he didn't think of Jack in the same manner as he did other women, but he wasn't going to chance it.

He had caught her staring at him many times, and didn't think it was best to put himself in a situation where things may get too far. Even a hug that took too long was the wrong sort of situation, it just wasn't right to hang all over someone that was almost half your age. Not in his eyes. She was his roommate, nothing more, nothing less. She was just a kid for God's sake.

Many times he had thought 'What the hell is she staring at,' then he realized he was standing in a towel, or that he didn't have a shirt on. This is the reason he made the rule about not walking out of the bath room in a towel. Though, Jack didn't know that. It was more of a precaution, he knew girls at her age were hormone-driven and he didn't want to be the object of her affection.

For Jack's sake, Riddick was a very attractive, very dangerous man, what girl wouldn't fanaticize about him? He was her protector, her mentor (not that he knew this), and most of all, he was her best friend. The fact that they fought like an old married couple, didn't matter, not when it came down to it.

She would do anything in her power to protect him, not that she thought she could do much. Still, the offer was on the table. And she knew he too would protect her. He had shown that trait more than once, when he killed Johns because he wanted to feed her to those monsters. Again, he showed this when he didn't leave her behind on that planet. And yet again, every time he had gotten into a fight over her, in a bar, or on the street. Not only did he risk his freedom for her but also his life.

He was a big man, yes, and he was stronger than most anyone Jack had ever seen, but as she had learned early in life, there's always someone out there that's bigger than you. As it was, Riddick hadn't come into contact with this person, but Jack knew, eventually, he would and it wouldn't be a good day. Even though Riddick was somewhat a 'Superman' in her eyes, she knew someone somewhere out there had the kryptonite that would bring him to his knees. After all, kryptonite was the one weakness Superman had.

Little did she knew, she could very well be his Kryptonite.

A/N: Ok, heres another one for you all. I hope you are still enjoying it and if there's anything you feel needs to be done differently or that is incorrect, please feel free to tell me. As always, reviews are welcome. Sway


	7. Chapter 7 Almost Eighteen

Chapter 7

Almost Eighteen

Two months passed and Riddick was still observing his target, he felt knowing what you were up against was a good plan. He didn't want to be surprised, not that that happened often. He felt he needed to be prepared, even though in his mind there was no chance he could ever lose. He, of course, didn't mention anything about it to Jack, despite her constant questioning his whereabouts. It was for her own good that he didn't tell her. There was no need in her worrying about him or trying to tag along.

Jack's eighteenth birthday was getting closer; it was only two more weeks away, on July the fifteenth. Riddick knew her big day was getting close but he never said anything to her about it. He would rather surprise her than talk to her about it. Though sometimes his surprises didn't end the way he would have liked them to. Most of the time they ended in him and Jack having to run to escape the law enforcement officials that he so loved.

As he rose from his seat at the table, on this the first day of July in the middle of the afternoon, he said, "Well, kid, I have things to do. You stay here and clean up. I will be back as soon as I'm done with my thing."

Jack sighed and rolled her eyes. Why did he refer to what he was doing as his 'thing'? What was all of that about? It just sounded wrong.

He had been leaving her at home alone more and more lately and she wasn't too keen on that idea. She hated being alone especially when Riddick had told her not to leave. And what she hated more was that he always told her to clean up...

Often she asked him why they didn't just hire someone to clean for them. His response was always the same, 'why would I pay someone to clean my house when I have you to do it for free?' She really hated that. She wasn't his maid. Then again, he did let her live there for free, which meant she didn't ever have to get a job if she didn't want to.

Five minutes after he rose from the table, he was goggled and ready to go. He bid Jack a quick good bye and reminded her to have the house clean then stepped out into the blinding sun light.

Jack plopped herself down on the couch and huffed. "Good, I get to stay here and have so much fun cleaning. Just what I love doing. Ass hole."

She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, seeing as how she was alone. But she thought it was good to sometimes express her problems aloud. If nothing else, it made her feel better.

For about an hour she deliberately didn't move from the couch because she was trying to convince herself she was not going to clean just because Riddick had told her to. She was going to clean when she was good and ready to and not a minute sooner.

As it would turn out, she could not find anything to watch on the television and all of the digital movies her and Riddick owned, she had seen at least twenty times each. She crinkled her nose as she looked up from her place on the couch and around the house. It was evident that she would much rather be doing anything other than the things she was supposed to do.

'_I would rather organize his sock drawer, or scrub the dirt off of his boots with a toothbrush, no… I would rather braid his arm pit hair… Okay, eew, that was just gross. Eesh, why do I think like this? Sometimes I amaze myself at my stupidity.' _

She thought theses things to herself as she cleared away the dished from the table and threw them into the sink. It was one of Riddick's rules that she rinse off every dish before placing it into the automatic dishwasher. Jack often thought it was a stupid rule, which it was, but she knew better than to not do as he had asked. If there was one thing she knew for sure it was this, Riddick never makes up rules without a valid reason.

This meant he does not make up rules and regulations just for the fun of it. There is a reason for every rule he had set forth, be it stupid or not. Just like the dishwasher rule. She was positive there was a reason for this rule but for one reason or another she was having a hard time trying to figure out just what the explanation was.

But that was just her trying not to do the dishes, or any other chore.

* * *

_Riddick's POV_

I swear that kid is going to be the death of me. Sometimes I just want to strangle her, just grab her scrawny little neck and squeeze until I see the light leave her eyes. But then again that wouldn't be very macho of me now would it? Me killing a kid like that. Naw, I would never kill her I just want to sometimes.

Where is this dumb son of a bitch? I'm waiting outside his office and he is supposed to be here but I don't see him in the windows. All I see is this woman… Oh, yeah, I found him… Sometimes I think people should consider closing their blinds before engaging in acts such as this. Not every one wants to see what other people look like naked. At least, I don't care to see this guy naked, but I guess the woman is alright.

I'm just going to lean back against this building and watch from across the street. Not that I really want to see what these two are doing, it's just that I have to keep an eye on him. I would much prefer that I not see the guy I've been hired to … er… take care of having sex. I would prefer that I never saw this.

Look at this building, his building, I'm pretty sure it's a red brick but I can't really tell, seeing as how when I have my goggles on I see mostly blacks and grays... I still wouldn't be able to see the damn thing even if I didn't have the goggles on and it was dark, then I would see pinks and purples and grays. But that's beside my point, the point is, it's a big fucking building. I think he's an accountant or something along those lines. Shit, I don't know what he does to tell the truth. All I know is he's been marked for death and I'm the reaper.

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

Jack had finished rinsing the dishes and loaded them all into the washer; she'd wiped down all of the counters and the table, and began vacuuming the floors. This was probably her least favorite of all of the chores she had. She didn't mind vacuuming while Riddick was home, but when he was gone it was a different story.

The reason she didn't like to do this when she was home alone is because if the vacuum is on and someone enters the house, she wouldn't hear them. So, someone could be watching her with intent on harming her and she wouldn't know it until it was too late. She always had this in mind when she had to do this so she was determined to keep her eyes on the door of whatever room she was in at the time.

Riddick had often told her it was a silly thing to worry about but encouraged her to always keep her eyes open. And since she was familiar with their house, she knew the exits and windows by heart, as well as, where all of his shivs and other weapons were and that gave her the advantage over anyone who would dare to enter their home.

By the time she had cleaned the floors of the living room, the dining area, her bedroom, and Riddick's bedroom, her work was only half finished. Now it was time for her to mop the kitchen and the bathroom. But the moping she didn't mind as much as the vacuuming, she just had to remember not to mop her self into a corner. It's a bitch to have to clean something you've already cleaned.

Jack continued her chores until there was only one thing left to do, laundry.

She walked through her room and collected her dirty clothes, or those that she thought were dirty, and dropped them in the hamper in the bathroom. Knowing Riddick's room would be spotless, she decided to check in there anyway, she couldn't remember seeing any clothes in there but she wanted to double check. It wouldn't be a good thing if he had dirty clothes in his room when he came home. If she did forget some, he could think she hadn't done what she was supposed to and that just wouldn't do.

Jack slid the door open and looked around the room before entering. Riddick's room had dark brown walls, almost a chocolate color, with a tan ceiling and carpet. His bed was an antique dark cherry wood, which was positioned on the wall opposite the door and was covered in a black down comforter, as were the two bedside tables and his dresser, which was directly across from the foot of his bed, against the wall the door was on. There was a full length mirror with cherry trim to the right of his dresser which had always made Jack giggle. She couldn't fathom the thought of Riddick actually looking at himself in a mirror for any reason other than to shave. Even when he did shave he didn't look in the mirror and she knew this from seeing him do it sitting on the couch. It was a nasty habit he had, but he always cleaned up after himself. And that, Jack thought, was a good quality he had, she sure as hell wasn't going to clean up his hair clippings.

Temporarily breaking away from the marvel that was his all too clean room, Jack looked around and didn't see any clothes, and decided to just leave his room. He hadn't ever said anything about her going in there, but for some reason she always had a nagging feeling in her gut when she was in there. It was like this was a place that was forbidden but she couldn't help but go there. She never touched anything or snooped, but sometimes she stood in the doorway staring at his dresser or at his bed. There wasn't anything to see in there because all of the walls were bare of pictures or wall hangings; it was just something she liked to do.

She shook herself from her daze and decided it was time to finish her chores and maybe have some desert… if there was any.

* * *

_Jack's POV_

I hate laundry. It's so pointless. You wash something just so you can wear it and get it dirty again. That doesn't make sense. And why do I have to do it anyway? Why can't he do the laundry? I do every thing else around here… Well except clean his room, and I don't want to do that.

This was the exact minute when I pulled one of my thongs out of the hamper and I realized that that is the reason I do the laundry. Which now that I think about it, I never see any underwear in here from Riddick…

"Oh my god!" Ugh, I shivered. I have just realized that Riddick doesn't wear underwear.

And I touch his pants! I'm going to have to go and bleach my skin later. Oh my, that's just gross. The thought of him walking around the house balls hanging. And he sleeps in my bed… with _me _without any underwear. This just keeps getting worse. I need to stop thinking about it…

Why am I thinking about Riddick's… package, anyway?

Okay, so… Laundry… I think I'll just do mine first. He only wears black and I have a few other colors so, I don't need to mix them. Why in the hell would I want my favorite yellow tank top to be made dingy by his black-ness anyway?

Ok… Done with that. Now I'm just going to go and sit on the couch and wait for this load to be finished. It's not so bad really; I think I've only for three or… seven loads of laundry.

I let out a long sigh, I'm going to have to wash seven loads of laundry; this is going to take me forever. I might be seventy-eight before I finish this… Then there's going to be all kinds of other laundry…

So… I wonder what's on the tube. Probably nothing as usual. I'm so bored. I wish I had friends… Wait, no, that would just be weird.

I can see it now. 'Yeah, Mary-Jane, this is Riddick, no not the murderer. He's my… He takes care of me. No, he's not my brother. No, he's not my uncle. He's not related to me, I just live with him. No! We do not sleep together… NO you can't sleep with him.'

Jesus.

Channel surfing can be fun, I guess. Let's see, cartoons… movie I've already seen… Cartoons… soap opera… news… commercial… porno… another movie I've already seen… more cartoons… news… I give up, this is pointless.

I decided to just turn the television off and sit in the comfortable silence that is my life. If it's not Riddick telling me to do something it's quite. What a great life I have. No friends, no boyfriend… and most of the time, no Riddick. If I wanted to be alone I'd be in slam.

Riddick doesn't wear underwear.

Oh God! Why did I just think about that? That's disgusting. I'm going to have to hit my head on the wall until I stop thinking about it.

Why in god's name would anyone ever want to not wear underwear? No, I don't want to know, I really don't. Especially when it's him. With his stupid goggles, and all that damned black, and that shaved head… and… and those rippling muscles… and the eerie feeling he gives off when he's looking at you… and his deep voice…and….

And that's when my thoughts were interrupted by the washing machine dinging, it was done, finally.

_End Jack's POV

* * *

_

Riddick stood leaned against the same building for thirty minutes, and the man and woman were still going at it. He finally got fed up with watching this flesh show and decided it was best that he go ahead and leave. He wasn't going to get in any surveillance time today, as it seemed.

It had taken him an hour just to get to the town this man's office was in. Then the walk was twenty-five minutes to his building and he'd been there for half an hour, so it was best that he get home to Jack soon. She would be expecting dinner and he knew she wouldn't cook for herself.

He wasn't sure if she could cook, she'd never offered before, so he was almost positive she didn't even know how to boil water.

He pushed off the wall slightly agitated and began his walk toward the subway, hoping it wouldn't be as busy as it had been on his way down. He didn't really like having to be packed into a car with a hundred or so other people who all talked too loudly and stared at him. It wasn't that he was self conscious or that he was shy, because he isn't, it was just that he would rather not have to be that close to disgusting ass holes and or mercs. His life had been pretty good since he and Jack left that planet because he hadn't seen any mercs he knew, or heard that anyone was looking for him, but he didn't want to press his luck.

* * *

_Riddick's POV_

I really hate subways. No, it wasn't as crowded as it could have been, but there were more people in that car than I think should be legal, but who am I to be concerned about laws? I've never given any regard for laws before, why should it matter now?

The ride wasn't so bad, yes there was the loud talking and the staring and the rocking of the car and the sudden stops and jolting, but all in all, it was alright. I need to just get a move on and take care of this guy, that way; I don't have to worry about the damned subway.

I wonder if the kid has done what I told her to. She better have if she wants dinner. Look at what I've reduced myself to. I cook and clean and take care of this kid. I've gone soft. What happened to the bad ass Richard B. Riddick that once lived? I've become a lap dog. To be more precise, her lap dog. It's disgusting.

I can't help it though. What was I supposed to do? Leave her with the holy man? I've heard all about what those holier than thou people are capable of when it comes to young children and that is enough to make me want to kill every damn one of the mother fuckers. That's just sick. I may be demented but I'm not sick. Anyone who would do those things to a child should be killed a thousand times over...

It should only take me about ten minutes to get from this subway station to my house, then comes the cooking. But I'm hungry anyway, so I'm not really cooking just for her.

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

Jack was just putting her third load in the washer when Riddick opened the front door and let it hit the wall with a loud bang.

She jumped and whipped her head around toward the door. "What the hell? Riddick! You scared the shit out of me!"

Riddick gave a chuckle, "Yeah, kid, I'm the boogie man and I've come to get you! Now give me all of your cookies or I'm going to eat you."

Jack didn't recognize the perverse words he had used, mainly because she was still shaken by the entrance he had made. Riddick on the other hand immediately regretted his words.

'_Not exactly the right thing to say, Dickey.' _He thought as he quietly shut the door behind him and headed into the kitchen, which is where Jack was because the washer and dryer are in there as well.

"Ha ha, you've such a funny guy." She said with sarcasm dripping from her words.

Riddick gave a short smile then opened the fridge and crouched down so he was at eye level with the shelves.

Jack turned back to what she was doing, which was putting a load of Riddick's clothes in the washer, and automatically thought about the fact that she was touching his pants. And these are the pants he didn't wear underwear with… She hurriedly dumped the clothes in, poured the detergent in, and slammed the lid shut.

Trying to get her mind of is pants she said, "So, what are you making for dinner? I'm starving."

Riddick sighed. "I don't know kid, what do you want? How about hot dogs?"

Jack smirked and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she thought about what he had just said and her previous thought. Clearing her throat she said, "Sure… whatever you want is fine."

Riddick wasn't sure why Jack's voice had wavered when she answered him, but he did know it was probably something he didn't want to know anyway. He decided it would be easier to just throw some hot dogs in a skillet and fry them and open a bag of chips that to actually cook a meal. So that's what he decided on. It was quick and easy.

He stood from the fridge with a pack of hot dogs in his hand and laid them on the counter beside the stove and pulled a pan from the counter above it. Jack took this as a sign to leave the kitchen. She knew he would try and show her how to cook and she didn't want to be there to whiteness those hot dogs rolling around in the frying pan. It was just too much for her.

Yes, as it would seem, Jack is a normal almost eighteen year old girl, and she does find many things humorous that Riddick would not. Like the fact that she had just been thinking about him not wearing undies and then talking about hot dogs. For some reason, this made her day.

She didn't leave her room once until Riddick called her for dinner. Despite her hunger, she couldn't being herself to eat her hot dog with him watching, so every time he would look away, she stuffed as much of it in her mouth as possible. But when he was looking she simply snacked on potato chips.

Most people would find this behavior childish, which it was, but in reality, Jack hadn't had much of a child hood and what eighteen year old girl wouldn't laugh about something as perfect as that?

* * *

A/N: Okay, sorry about the long wait. I do hope this chapter isn't as disapointing as I think it is. But when I was writing it, I thought some humor could do it some good. Sure, there are serious points too... I swear... Ok.. Just review, please? Sway 


	8. Chapter 8 Happy Birthday Jack

Chapter 8

Happy Birthday Jack

July the fifteenth seemed to pop out of no where for Riddick. He'd almost forgotten it was Jack's birthday that is until he saw her walking out of her room rubbing her eyes. He watched her stumble and bounce off the walls of the hall as she walked toward him, which did amuse him somewhat.

"You gonna be alright there kid?" He called from his seat on the couch.

Jack snapped into reality once her brain was able to properly process Riddick's question. She yawned as she spoke, "Yeahhhhh, I'm good."

Riddick grinned as Jack stood half way across the room from him and stretched. Apparently she hadn't taken the time to look in the mirror before she ventured out into the living room. Her hair was all over her head and overly large night shirt was only half tucked into her pajama pants. Riddick was pretty sure she hadn't actually worn the pants during the night but he didn't like to dwell on the thought of what she slept in. She was, after all, still just a kid in his eyes.

"So, what are you going to do today, kid?" He asked, not really wanting to remind her that it was her eighteenth birthday if she didn't realize it.

Jack walked the rest of the way across the house and plopped down on the couch beside him. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again. "I da—da—don't know. I guess I'm going to just stay here like I usually do while you go out."

Riddick nodded.

It actually made him feel bad that she had to stay in the house all of the time. He hadn't ever thought about the fact that this may bother her, that is, not until now. It wasn't like he was going out and having fun. He killed people for a living. Okay, maybe it was fun to him, but he was sure Jack wouldn't find entertainment in that. And this reminded him; he still had to take care of that Kent J. Rockwood… Damn.

"No, kid, I think you should go out. Just go and do something, I don't know what, just something to get you out of here." He said, trying not to make it sound like he didn't want her there.

Jack focused her eyes on the black lenses of Riddick's goggles and wished she could, just one time, see through them and look into his eyes in the daylight. She wondered why he was telling her this. It was unlike him to stick around for so long after he knew she was awake. At times she had wondered if it was her he was trying to escape. She knew he had to go out and make money but she wanted to spend more time with him.

It all started after she turned seventeen. Since then he had been staying away more. She didn't really know what sparked that change but decided against saying anything about it. She knew it was probably something he didn't want to tell her anyway so she saved her self the trouble of getting angry with him.

The fact that he was always so secretive with her drove her crazy. 'What's he got to hide?' she would ask herself after asking him what he had been doing and he either refused to tell her or just ignored her completely.

"And what do you suggest I go out and do? It's not like I have any friends or even any money to do anything with." Jack answered.

He sighed; he knew she would say something about not having any friends. "Well," He reached into the right front pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a rectangular piece of plastic, "take this."

Jack took the piece of plastic from Riddick's outstretched hand and rolled it over in hers. Her eyes widened as she read the front of the card. It was a type of credit card, but it was a prepaid card. (This meant that Riddick had already put money on it so she could only spend what it held and no more.)

She wasn't used to getting money from him so she was pretty surprised. Normally, he would just pick up whatever it was that she needed or wanted, as long as he didn't think it was something that she shouldn't have.

"Wh—what's this?" She questioned still eyeing the card in her small hand.

Riddick chuckled. "You are a woman; you should know money when you see it, kid."

_'Yeah, I'm a woman, that's why you still call me kid. That makes sense.' _ Jack thought.

"Yeah, Riddick, I got that part, but what's it for? I mean, why? What…" She was really at a loss for words for some reason or another.

"It's for you to spend." He always did have a knack for pointing out the obvious.

Jack huffed. "I know _that_. But. Why. Did. You. Give. It. To. Me?" She decided to annunciate every word of her sentence so he may understand her point.

Riddick quirked an eye brow at the fact that Jack sounded out every word to him. It made him feel a bit like a child when she did this. "Because. I. Thought. You. May. Want. To. Buy. Some. Shit. For. Yourself."

He loved it when he could just turn things around on her, and she wasn't expecting it.

Jack groaned and stood up. "Thanks."

She wasn't ready for his games, not this soon after waking up. She was thankful that he'd been so thoughtful but why did he have to play games? She was sure he knew exactly what she was asking, the first time, but he just wanted to play with her head.

But she still wasn't sure why he'd given her money. It wasn't like him to just go and give her things like this. Normally she'd have to ask him to take her to get clothes, or whatever else she needed. That, in truth, was a bit embarrassing at times, she didn't want him to have to go with her to get her 'feminine' items all of the time, but he didn't like to let her go out alone. She'd even made herself wear sports bras because she didn't like for Riddick to see the normal type ones, when she needed them. Any other girl, Jack thought, wouldn't care, but she did. For one reason or another, she didn't like for Riddick to know she wore things like that. It just seemed odd, to her.

But then again, she'd recently discovered he didn't wear underwear at all, so she guessed it was much the same. What if he didn't think she wore any? No, she was almost positive he didn't think about things like that, not about her. After all, he'd never showed any type of interest in her, not that kind anyway.

* * *

Riddick didn't take notice of the time it took Jack to get ready and leave. He was really interested in the news paper in his hands when she decided to leave. All he heard was something along the lines of 'Going blah blah blah. Back blah blah. Later blah blah blah.'

He waved his hand behind his head, letting her know, or think he'd heard her words. He didn't even notice the slamming of the door, until some pots and pans fell in the kitchen.

"Fuck." He murmured to himself upon hearing the clatter of the pans.

He'd planned out her birthday the night before and wanted her out of the house for once. He thought, this time, she deserved to go out and not have to be escorted by him. She was eighteen after all, legal to any thing she wanted to do and not have him with her. She was, as far as society is concerned, an adult and didn't need him looming over her all the time.

He didn't bother picking up the fallen pots and pans on his way out of the house; he was more concerned with his plans.

* * *

_Riddick's POV _

I can't believe I am this old and I'm still doing shit like this for the kid. But I do this every year, so I don't need to disappoint her this time. Maybe next year I'll lay off. I don't see why birthdays are so damned important anyway. You just get another year older, and lose a year of your life. It's nothing special.

I've decided to take Jack out for the night. She's always bitching about staying at home alone, so I guess this will be nice for her.

I made the reservations for that fancy restaurant before she woke up, we go at seven. So, now I'm browsing through some chick store looking for something for her to wear. I'm really not seeing anything here…

"Excuse me, sir; is there something you need help with?"

I turned around to see an attractive brunette standing behind me with a name tag on. I guess she works here. Why would she want to help me? Do I look like I need her fucking help? I can find a… something… for myself. No, not for me, for Jack.

Shaking my head I said, "I'm looking for a dress. Not for me, it's for my… She's… well… it's for a friend."

_'Great cover Dickey.' _

The woman giggled slightly. She thinks I'm sick.

"Well, I'm sure I can help you find what you're looking for, if you'll just tell me what kind of occasion we're dressing for and what her size is." She answered after laughing.

I gave her a shrug, "I don't really know her size, but its dinner, you know, at that fancy place just off of Commerce Avenue."

Again, the woman laughed. "Well, sir, I won't be much help if we don't know what size the young woman will wear."

I suppose she's right. But I have to find something for Jack to wear; I know she's not going to buy anything today that will be nice enough for tonight. She's always had a knack for buying more… casual clothes, can't say as I blame her.

"You see that girl, there," I pointed at a woman browsing a few racks away.

The woman followed my finger and nodded.

"My girl has shoulders like those. Small built but prominent." I continued.

_'My girl? What the fuck where'd that come from?'_

"Okay." The woman answered.

I looked around at a few more people. No, she's too tall. No, too fat. No, too manly… "Ah, and that one." I pointed at a woman who is Jack's height. "Jack, my… the girl, she's that woman's height."

Another nod.

"And that one over there," a woman near the cash registers, "she's built just like Jack. Well, Jack's got bigger… Her… She's…"

The woman said what I was struggling with, "Your female's bust is larger?"

This time, I nodded. I hadn't ever felt like such a pervert. What the hell was I doing looking at Jack's tits? I'm a dirty old man.

Finally, after looking at probably fifty dresses, I settled on, what I'm told is, a light yellow one. It's one of those that goes up around the chick's neck but doesn't have straps on the shoulders. And it's a little tight down to her hips but touches the floor.

I didn't like the fact that it was tight, but all of them were. I guess this is the way the fashion has gone. Everything women wear is so fucking tight. Take this broad, she's got on some pants that I'm sure are painted on, and her shirt… its one of those that has a v-neck and shows her tits. I'd kill Jack for dressing like that. Do women not realize that men, when they see that, automatically think about taking the clothes off? Come on, even a chick isn't that stupid. But maybe that's why the do it. I don't know. But like I said, I'll kill Jack if she dresses like that. I don't want to have the same thoughts about her as I'm currently having about this woman. She's fuck-able, really, and the clothes, damn.

Okay, I have to get my mind out of the gutter…

Apparently, Jack is a size six. I'll remember that… Okay, maybe not.

I had to buy shoes as well. But those were easy. I got some that are, I'm told, clear. The woman said they would look nice with the dress, so I'm sure they will. She was a great help, but for some reason, I couldn't take my mind off fucking her long enough to pay much attention to her words…

Now, I've got to find something for myself. I hadn't thought about that until the woman who helped me with Jack's dress suggested it. This is going to be hard. I don't wear this fancy, nancy-boy shit. Ugh. I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a great idea.

* * *

By the time I left and got back home, I'd been gone three hours and spent close to a thousand dollars. I would never have been caught dead in a dress store. Jack better appreciate this. I used to be a hard ass, someone you didn't want to fuck with. Now, I've reduced myself to being a bitch. I went shopping. My God, or well, your God... I bought myself a suit. I've made reservations in a fancy restaurant and I'm going there. Oh fuck.

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

Once Riddick was home, he took Jack's dress and shoes into her room, against his better judgment, and put them in her closet. He didn't want to leave them out in the open because it would have been more of a surprise for her to find them later. He really didn't like the fact that he had to dress up as well, but after buying the 'damn' suit, he knew there wasn't any turning back now. He took his suit and tossed it down on his bed before deciding he needed to take a shower.

Riddick was still in the process of taking his shower when Jack stumbled blindly into the house. Her arms were full of shopping bags and she wondered how it was that she made it home in one piece. She felt her way through the house to her room by bouncing off the walls with her elbows and dropped her bags on her bed.

"Shit." She sighed as she stretched her aching arms.

Jack took her time sorting through her new things. She'd bought at least twelve new shirts, six pairs of jeans, new socks, underwear, and a number of other random things such as a few new movies and an MP3 player. She wasn't in any hurry to put them away because she just had to try them on again, before she made the choice to keep them. Most of the shirts, she knew, Riddick wouldn't like because they were tank tops. She opted to wear tanks most of the time because it was so damned hot on the planet they currently inhabited, but how long that would last, she didn't know.

When she'd finally decided to put her things away, Riddick was finally out of the shower. She assumed he was shaving or doing some other post shower ritual because she had heard the water turn off but hadn't heard him leave the bathroom. She walked across her room to her closet with her arms loaded down with her new clothes and swung the closet door open.

This was the exact moment when Riddick heard a high pitched scream coming from Jack's room. Without thinking he pulled on his goggles, ran out of the bathroom and burst through Jack's bedroom door, in his towel.

"Jack! What's wrong?" He yelled as soon as his feet hit the soft carpet in her room.

Jack didn't look at him immediately. In truth, there wasn't anything wrong with her, she'd just discovered her new dress and was taken aback, that was what caused her to scream.

Riddick, noticing Jack wasn't in pain or threatened by death, sighed heavily. "So, you like it?"

Again, Jack didn't answer, instead she almost flew across the room and threw herself into Riddick's arms.

Riddick was a bit shocked by Jack's display of affection but he had to admit, it made him feel good. He wasn't used to seeing her like this. He hardly ever touched her anymore and in his mind, it felt good to be hugging her.

He smiled to himself as he squeezed Jack's small body and let a low rumbling whisper escape his lips, "Happy birthday, Jack."

A/N: Ok, I know it took me for hell and ever to update, and I apologize. I do hope you all liked this one. Let me know your thoughts, what you like and what you don't, please. Sway


	9. Chapter 9 Growing Up

Chapter 9

Growing Up

_Riddick's POV _

All I knew to do when Jack almost knocked me over as she hugged me was to hug her back. It's been so long since I allowed myself to be so close to her. Sure, when she has those damned nightmares, I go and lay with her, but that's only because it's something I have to do. No, I suppose it isn't something I have to do; I could just let her lay in there and scream. But what kind of a man would I be if I did something like that? Maybe I want to be in there with her, hell I don't know. But regardless to whether I want to be in there or not, it isn't right.

I can smell every place she's been. I smell the pretzels from the food court in that strip mall, the smell of new clothes, smells a bit like vinegar, I smell her sweat, I smell the perfume those bitches spray on you to try and get you to buy their product. I smell everything. She smells like angels ought to smell, even with the sweat and… tears…

"Kid, what's wrong? You don't like it?" I asked as I looked down at the top of her head, she still wouldn't let me go.

She sniffled and rubbed her face on my chest… My bare chest. Ah fuck, I'm in my towel. Shit. Fuck. I shouldn't be here. I need to go and get dressed.

"No, no, it's not that. I love the dress, it's beautiful." She finally answered, causing me to lose my train of thought about how very wrong it is for me to be standing in her room, with her in my arms, only wearing a towel.

Okay, so she likes it, that's why she's crying? What!

"Kid, if you like the dress, why are you crying?" I asked.

I'm a man how the hell am I supposed to know about these things? I would think that if the chick is crying it means she's mad or something. Hell, I don't know. Women never cease to confuse me.

"I'm… I'm not crying." She said, like I would believe her.

I pulled away from her and pushed her back by her shoulders so I could see her face. Automatically she put her hands on her face and wiped fiercely at her eyes. See, I knew she was crying. Why's she got to lie about it? Like I'm stupid, right, and couldn't smell the salt. Sometimes I think she forgets how good my sense of smell is.

She cleared her throat, "See, I wasn't crying."

A faint smile crossed her face as she looked at me. Again, I remembered just now, I'm standing here in a towel. Me and my stupid instincts when it comes to that kid. What I don't think she's noticed yet, because she hasn't said anything about it, is I was in the middle of shaving. And by in the middle, what I mean to say is only the right side of my face is shaved and I'm sure it's noticeable. I apparently didn't think when I came bounding out of the bathroom and into Jack's room, though, I wish I had. That's my problem. I never think about things when it comes to her. Shit, one day, this girl's gonna get me killed.

"Okay, well, kid, I suppose I should tell you what's up." I said rubbing my right hand back over me forehead then resting it on the back of my neck.

Jack just looked up at me with her eyes glistening, if I didn't know any better, I would think she was going to cry again.

"Since it's your eighteenth birthday, I thought it'd be nice to take you out." I said.

Jack interrupted me. "Riddick, I don't think that dress," she pointed at her closet, "is proper attire for a bar."

I rolled my eyes behind my goggles. Does she think the only places I can take her are bars? What the fuck. I can do nice things, I know how to be all stuffy and proper and shit.

Sighing I said, "You're right kid. But then again, I'm not taking you to a bar. I think I've ruined enough of your birthdays so far, so this year, I'm trying something different. We're going to McGuinties, that fancy restaurant off of Commerce Avenue, you know the one."

Jack screamed again. What the hell is it with girls and screaming? Never in the years I've lived with the kid have I ever heard her scream unless it was over a nightmare or because she saw me beating the shit out of someone. This isn't like her. And I personally don't think my ear drums can take much more of this shit.

* * *

Jack finally let me finish my post shower rituals. But I had to do them out side of the bathroom because she needed it, apparently to get ready for tonight, I'm not sure. I try not to pay much attention to these things in life, though sometimes it's difficult for me. When in the hell did Jack stop being that little girl and grow up? And where the fuck was I for all of it? I know I'm not the most observant person, unless I have to be, but damn.

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

"Come on, Kid!" Riddick yelled from behind his closed bedroom door.

Jack huffed, "I'm working on it. Give me a damn minute!"

"Jack, it's damn six o'clock, we have to be there at seven and you know how long it takes to get across town! Hurry the fuck up!" Riddick yelled back as he fastened the cufflinks on his shirt and took yet another look at him self in the mirror.

As it would seem, he, Richard Barrett Riddick, did in fact clean up quite well. His suit pants, shoes, and jacket were traditional black with a white collard shirt underneath it and black tie, the cufflinks were what looked like black pearl trimmed in silver. The one thing that did clash a bit with the outfit was the pair of black goggles he had perched just over his eye brows. Even though the goggles were black, they didn't quite fit into his attire. He silently cursed himself for ever getting that shine job because he was fully aware what they did to the outfit, but there was no turning back now. It was done and over with and there wasn't anything he could do to fix it.

Riddick pulled his goggles down, over his eyes as he pulled his bedroom door open. For some reason he just knew every light in the house would be on and he didn't want to start this night out with a headache.

At the very moment Riddick stepped out into the small hallway between his and Jack's rooms, Jack's door slid open and she stood in the doorway fidgeting.

Riddick smiled as his eyes glistened behind his goggles.

Jack let her head drop down to her feet as she tried her hardest not to stare at him. She's only caught a glimpse of him but already she knew he looked wonderful. She cleared her throat, "What do you think? Isn't the dress beautiful?"

Riddick brought one of his massive hands up to his forehead and slid it across the top of his head and let it rest on the back of his neck, he'd been doing this more than usual lately. "No, kid, I don't think that dress is beautiful."

Jack's eyes shot up from her feet to Riddick's goggles. She couldn't think of anything to say, she hadn't exactly expected that answer from him.

He laughed, "Jack," he stepped closer to her and reached out for her chin, "you make that dress beautiful."

* * *

Jack and Riddick arrived at the front entrance of the restaurant fifteen minutes ahead of time, to Riddick's surprise. Jack was taken aback at the beauty of the drab buildings interior. It was a plain grey brick building, on the outside, but the inside was breath taking. There were possibly hundreds of round tables covered in crisp white cloths with two candles in the middle. The chairs were also white but the wood on them had to be a cherry or possibly very highly polished walnut. Thousands of small chandeliers hung from the ceiling all surrounding one gigantic crystal chandelier in the middle of the room.

Jack tried her best not to fidget as she and Riddick were ushered to their table, in the far back right hand corner of the building. She thought to herself the reason they were that far back was because Riddick didn't particularly like to have people staring at him. In actuality, he just didn't want them staring at Jack, he didn't have anything to do with it this time. He was fully aware of the fact that she was gorgeous in her yellow dress with her hair pulled up in a tight bun and those small ringlets falling down the back.

Once they were seated and had their menus in hand, Jack decided it was time to talk to Riddick. After his last comment to her, back when they were still at home, she hadn't been able to think of anything to say to him. His first answer took her by surprise but his second one truly astonished her. She'd never dreamt of hearing those words come out of his mouth. He wasn't the kind of guy that said things like that, least of all to her.

She shifted in her chair as she pretended to look over her menu. "Riddick, I… Umm…"

Riddick lowered his menu from his face, "yes, Jack."

Her eyes darted around the restaurant as she tried to look anywhere but into Riddick's face. "I just… I wanted to say thanks."

Again, Riddick smiled. "Don't thank my just yet kid; I haven't had time to fuck this up yet."

Finally, she had a reason to laugh. So she did.

She was, in truth, very uncomfortable being dressed as she was, but she also knew he was as well. She'd never really dressed this nice for anything, not that she could remember anyway. The thing about Jack is, when she's uncomfortable or embarrassed, she laughs, it's a kind of nervous tick she has but she knows it isn't always appropriate to do so. As she laughed, she tried to muffle the sounds with her hand, but it was still more than obvious what she was doing.

After a few moments, when she noticed people beginning to stare, she coughed and adverted her eyes back to her menu.

* * *

Throughout their dinner, Riddick drank, what he was told was, a fine wine, occasionally giving Jack a glass. He didn't see any reason she couldn't drink if she wanted to. Normally he wouldn't want her to drink anything that had alcohol in it, but tonight was her night and he was going to let her do anything she wanted to do.

Thirty minutes had passed since both Jack and Riddick had finished their entrée's and Jack was, as she had said 'stuffed.' Riddick too was feeling the waist band of his slacks begin to tighten and decided it wouldn't be appropriate to unbutton them and walk through the restaurant. This in mind, he told Jack they would only stay for a bit to let their food digest and talk a bit.

"So, kid, what do you want to do when we leave here?" He asked as he filled her wine glass for the fourth time.

"Don't know. What do you want to do? I'm really up for anything." She answered putting her hand up to show him her glass was full enough.

Truthfully speaking, she'd had enough to drink two drinks ago. Seeing as how she never drank, by this time, she was feeling pretty good. She could think of a few things she'd like to do but none were worth mentioning to Riddick. Considering most of them had to do with testing her 'Riddick doesn't wear underwear' theory. She decided it was best to give the shortest answer possible. Generally speaking, Jack doesn't have these kinds of thought about Riddick, but it could be that she's finally realized she is eighteen years old and he has always been a kind of idol to her, or it could also be the wine talking. She wasn't sure which the culprit was, but either way, it would be fine with her if she did get to test that theory.

Riddick took a long drink of his wine, emptying his glass again, and sighed. "Well, I'm all out of ideas. This," he motioned with his hand around the room, "was the only good thing I could think of. Tell me, did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

Jack's face lit up as she smiled, which caused some type of reaction inside Riddick though it wasn't visible to her. "Yes. This was wonderful, I can't think of anything that would be better. And now that dinner is over, thank you." She smiled again.

Riddick closed his eyes the second time Jack smiled and thought, _'Seeing that too much could brink a man to his knees.' _

"Well, Jack, I'm glad you liked it. I wasn't sure it'd be your thing, but can't kill me for trying." He answered with his eyes still shut.

"I guess you're right." She said, still thinking about him not having any underwear on at that moment.

_'Jesus H. Fucking Christ, Jack, why can't you stop thinking about his balls? What the fuck is wrong with you? God! Just quit it. That's wrong. Besides, he'd never let you find out anyway.'

* * *

_

On the way out of the restaurant Riddick realized it probably wasn't the best idea to let Jack drink five and a half glasses of wine. This realization came to him when she almost fell as she walked down the mid-way of the restaurant and he had to catch her. For a second or two, while she was in his arms, he could swear he felt his heart stop beating, but dismissed it as being too concerned with her well being.

By the time he and Jack were back in the comfort of their own home, which is where Jack decided she would like to go, Riddick was positive she'd had too much to drink. Not only were her words a bit strained and slurred, but she wasn't making much sense when she was forming proper sentences. He wished he'd cut her off back at one glass of wine, but knew wishing wasn't going to change the fact that she was drunk.

He ushered her into the house, well mainly just carried her in, and lay her down on the couch. "Do you just want to go to bed, kid?"

Jack shook her head, causing those curled tendrils to fall into her face, and then blew a stream of air from her mouth up her forehead, trying to get the hair out of her face. "No, just stay. We can movie. Watch a. You know."

Riddick sighed as he fought not to laugh at her; after all she was pretty comical at times, this being one of them. "Okay, what movie do you want to watch?"

She seemed to zone out for a second, presumable thinking, then said, "I have one."

Before Riddick could say anything, she jumped off the couch and stumbled her way into her bedroom. Riddick almost followed her but decided against it because he wasn't sure what exactly she was doing and didn't want to see something he shouldn't. Five or so minutes later, Jack stumbled back into the living room, where Riddick sat stretched out on the couch. By this time, he had unbuttoned the top button on his slacks as well as taken off his jacket, unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt which in turn exposed his white A-shirt, loosened his tie, kicked off his shoes and removed his cufflinks. She bounced as she walked in front of Riddick and took her seat beside him, on the couch.

"Here." She said as she thrust the movie she held in her hand under his nose.

He scoffed. "Okay, watch it there, kid."

He took the movie out of her hand and examined the case. It was a 'chick-flick' if he had ever seen one, a movie titled 'The Sweetest Thing.'

_'Wonderful. I have to watch this with her. A chick flick. I realize this is her birthday and all, but damn. This is going too far. I know exactly what's going to happen. She's going to pass out and I'm going to be stuck here watching this.' _

He sighed as he turned the movie over in his hand and read the back panel. He was right. It was a chick flick and not one that seemed the least bit appealing to him. "Are you sure this is the one you want to watch?"

Jack snorted. "Yesssssss." She sounded a bit like an impatient child when she answered like that.

"Okay, fine. Then pit the damn thing in." He said, trying not to seem as unenthusiastic as he really was.

"Noooo. I don't wanna." Jack answered as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head frantically.

"Jack." Riddick scolded.

She shook her head harder. "Nope. I'm not gonna."

He clenched his jaw and stood up whispering under his breath, "You have to be fucking kidding me."

Fifteen minutes into the movie, Jack decided she didn't want to watch it anymore. She stretched out on the couch as soon as Riddick sat back down and had her feet in his lap as she lay with her head turned toward the television. But by this time, she wanted to play games, instead of watch the movie. Playfully, she jabbed Riddick in the side with her toes and laughed. Riddick snapped his head toward her, none too happy.

"What the hell was that for?" He asked.

Again, she laughed as she jabbed him in the ribs a second time. "Ha, ha, I got you."

He raised one eye brow at her but otherwise, he was expressionless. "You know, kid, it's probably not a good idea to do shit like that?"

She crinkled her nose, "Why not?"

"Because." Just as he closed his mouth, he grabbed her foot with one hand and pulled her down toward him, "your foot is in my lap and I could break it if I wanted too."

Jack wiggled and squirmed as his grip on her leg tightened. "Stop it. You're not gonna break it! I know you won't."

"Really?" He gave her leg another squeeze.

"Yes, really." She answered as she tried again to get her leg free from his hand.

"What makes you so sure?" He asked.

"This." She swiftly brought her other foot up, apparently the one Riddick had forgotten she had, and kicked him right in the chin. The kick wasn't hard, but none the less, it was a kick in the chin.

"Whoa, there, kid." He said as he grabbed her other foot with his free hand. "See, now I have both of them. What's to stop me from hurting you now? If I were anyone else, I could do whatever I want to you right now."

Jack relaxed her legs in his hands, "You could do whatever you want to do to me anyway; you don't have to be someone else."

A/N: Okay, I know it's been forever and I'm sorry, but yay, new chapter! ;) As always, please let me know what you think. And thanks for reading, you guys are my inspiration. Sway


	10. Chapter 10 Emotions

Chapter 10

Emotions

_Riddick's POV _

I felt her legs become less tense in my hands. I hear her words though they had taken me off guard. "You could do whatever you want to do to me anyway; you don't have to be someone else."

What the hell did she just say?

For one reason or another, I couldn't make sense of what I'd just heard. My brain wasn't willing to process the information. I had to hear that again.

Taking my hands from her legs I said, "What? What did you just say, Jack?"

She shot straight up on the couch, face to face with me, "I said, Richard, you could do anything you wanted to do to me; you don't have to be someone else."

My mouth fell open only just a crack though. I couldn't believe what she said. It didn't make sense. She's just a girl. I am far too old for her. Besides, she's Jack, she's the kid, she's… Right here, in front of me. She is so beautiful, so young and pure, so enchanting. Why is it I've never seen any of these things before? Why am I even looking?

Acting purely on instinct, I reached up and tore my goggles from my eyes so that I could look into her face properly. Apparently my quick movement startled her, or excited her, which ever, because she jumped further into my lap. As if I hadn't already had her close enough. What a stupid thing to say. Why did I word my sentence that way? And what's with her answer?

_'She's drunk. That's it. She's just drunk and she's eighteen years old. She's eighteen fucking years old, Dickey! Get a grip on your self you sick mother fucker!' _

Before I knew what happened, Jack knocked me back into the arm of the couch and was on top of me in seconds. She stared into my eyes as I stared back at her. Then, when I thought she'd changed her mind, she forced herself down on me and captured my mouth with hers. Her lips were so inviting, so soft and perfect. No. No. I can't do this. It isn't right, she's a kid and I'm an old man, she's eighteen!

Pushing her back by gently by her shoulders I said, "Jack, don't do that. You're drunk."

She tried to resist my pushing her, but I'm too strong for her. Finally she gave up and took her place back where she had previously been. She stared at me for what seemed like hours but was probably just a minute or two. I don't know what the hell she's looking at but I wish she'd stop.

"Riddick, I may be drunk, I may have been drinking tonight, but do you not realize how much you mean to me? I know you don't have great eye sight, and maybe I only show these things in the day light, but if you can't see that, then you're fucking blind. Do you honestly think I'm just a kid? Do you think on those nights I wake up screaming that I only have you stay in my bed with me because I want to go back to sleep? And really, do you think the reason you stay is just to appease the situation?"

I hadn't been expecting that. What do you say to something like that? What do you say to an angry eighteen year old girl? Nothing, if you expect them to hear your words, you say nothing.

I guess she noticed my struggling with what to say because she took it as a sign to continue with her thoughts. And I really wish she hadn't.

"Riddick, come on! You can't sit there and tell me you didn't know. Tell me you have no idea how I feel about you! You have been my everything; I am only alive because of you. I owe you my god damned life! I live here with you not because I have to, but because I want to. I stay here day after day while you go out and do god knows what, because I want to be here with you when you return. I ask you to stay in my bed with me at night because I want to feel you there beside me. And you stay because you want to be there, not because you have to. Everything I do is for you!"

I guess her emotions got the best of her because I knew, even before I saw the tears that she was going to cry. And so she did. I can't stand to see the kid cry. Even if she was just yelling at me, putting me in my place, it kills me to see this.

I reached out for her chin, "Jack…" she pulled away, "Jack, come on. Don't cry. Don't cry because of me."

That was the wrong thing to have said. And I know this because immediately she began to cry harder and started yell again. "God damn it! Riddick! Don't be so passive. I'm trying to tell you something here and…"

I cut her off. "AND!" My temper began to flare, "And, nothing, Jack! You are drunk. None of this will mean anything when you wake up. Don't you go and say things you wouldn't say to me if you hadn't been drinking. Because once you say something, you can't un-say it. It doesn't fucking work that way!"

As quickly as I could, I stood from the couch, knocking her feet from my lap. I had to get away from her. She's driving me crazy. Why did she have to do this? Why now?

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

Riddick's temporary shouting caught Jack off guard. She hadn't meant to anger him so, but through her crying and yelling, she knew it was going to happen. Even though she knew he would never harm her, not in a million years, she didn't like to see him angry. Normally she wasn't the one that caused his temper to flare, but this time, it had in fact been her. Her intentions weren't to anger him; her intentions were to inform him. When it all began, she hadn't intended to do any of the things she'd done but there was nothing she could do about it now. She knew that her drinking had been the cause for the kiss and her words, but she could have stopped them if she had wanted to.

She abruptly stood up from the couch, turning her back on the now pacing Riddick. Wiping a few tears from her eyes as she walked the opposite way from him, around the couch, she sniffled and headed toward her room.

Just as she entered the doorway, she turned toward him, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe just maybe right now, since I have been drinking, I have finally built up the courage to tell you these things?" And with that, she flipped her light on and slid her door shut.

Her words hit Riddick hard. He half expected her to be saying the things she had said simply because she was drinking. Not because she actually felt them and only just built up enough valor to say them aloud. He had no response for her, not that she'd left him the time. Silently he cursed himself for being such a prick. But he knew, deep down, it wouldn't have been right for him to do anything, rather she did indeed feel so deeply about him or not. And the reason was, because she was drunk.

Richard Riddick may be a lot of things but one thing he is not is a man that takes advantage of drunken girls. He respects women over all others, holds them up on a pedestal so to say. His one rule in killing is no women or children. Women are the one thing he refuses to conquer.

Slowly, he stood in front of the television and turned off all of the mechanical equipment; causing the whole house, save for Jack's bedroom, to go black. Darkness, at this time, was his only comfort. An hour, at least, had passed and still he stood in the dark living room, alone with his thoughts. He wasn't sure what was worse, that he'd made her cry, or that he'd yelled at her for trying to express her self. Becoming aggravated with himself, he stormed into his bed room and slammed his door hard against the wall. Even as he stood in the darkness, he could see his reflection in his mirror, and it disgusted him. The mad that had caused so much pain on a night that was meant for fun, stood staring at him. Again, his anger flared as he slammed one massive fist into the mirror's surface. The man in the mirror quickly became thousands of men, all staring at him. Upon pulling his fist from the broken mirror, hundreds of thousands of fragments fell, causing a tinkling sound on his dresser. It was only after the tinkling sound that soft whimpers filled his ears. He knew just where they were coming from.

He shook the glass shards from his hand and slid his door open. Stepping out into the hall way, he could hear her cries more clearly and knew he had to do something, say something. He lifted the same hand he'd broken the mirror with, and gently knocked on her door.

"Jack?" He called.

She sniffed, "go away. Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

No, he wasn't going to go away. He'd done enough damage for the night and he needed to repair that damage. He turned his head as he cracked her door open just enough to get his hand in and turn the lights off. Once the lights were off, he slid the door open and walked in, closing it behind him.

"I said go away." She scolded from her place on her bed.

She'd been laying there the entire time crying. Riddick noticed her dress wadded up beside her bed and shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere kid."

"Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! I hate you!" She yelled as she turned over in her bed, not facing him any longer.

He moved so quickly she hadn't even heard his foot steps. He was not standing right behind her, at the edge of her bed, staring down at her. For a moment or two, he considered leaving her room as she had asked but refused. He was going to right what he had wronged.

"Scoot over." He said.

Jack rolled over in her bed and glared up at him, "No! Didn't you hear what I said? I said I hate you now just leave me alone."

Kneeling down beside her bed, he locked eyes with her, in the dark, and replied. "You don't hate me, kid. And I don't hate you. Now scoot over."

Quietly, she moved over in her bed, leaving just enough room for him to lie down beside her. Once he was sure he could fit, Riddick slipped himself into her bed, pants, shirt and all, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto his chest. Jack lay there silently, simply breathing in his masculine scent. She was so angry with him, so mad that he'd acted the way he had, but none of that mattered, not while he held her in his arms.

"Riddick," she said, tilting her head up.

"Mmm?"

"Riddick, I love you." She whispered.

He smiled as he looked down into those big orbs of hers. He knew she was telling the truth, she was saying this, not because she was drunk, but because she meant it. He could see it in her eyes. He brought one of his hands up and placed it under her chin. Leaning down, he brought her face close to his and crushed her lips with his, kissing her with every emotion that flowed within his body.

A/N: okay, I know it's crap and I apologize, but please don't be mad at me. And yes, I'm sure Riddick would never act the way he has in this chapter, but going where I am with him, there' sno other way for him to act. Really what does lie behind that bad ass facade? Sway


	11. Chapter 11 The Beast Within

**A/N: One quick one, then a long one at the end. Okay, so here's my warning. FLUFF and SMUTcity! If you are offended by sex, or any type of physical contact, this is not the chapter for you! I'm done now, enjoy ;) Sway**

Chapter 11

The Beast Within

_Jack's POV _

My mind filled with every emotion I've ever felt, every day dream I've had about him, every single memory of what we've gone through together. My lying with him confused the hell out of me. He'd come in here, even though he knew I was angry and hurt, even though I screamed at him, I told him to leave, I told him I hate him. He came in here to lay with me anyway. He's holding me, kissing me. _He_ is kissing _me_. And I just told him that I love him…

The kiss is long and sensuous, meaningful and tender. It is everything I have ever wished it would be. He's so strong, so much larger than I am, yet so gentle. I feel his tongue caressing my bottom lip. I don't know what to do. I want him so badly, I want to kiss him, touch him, hold him; I want all of these things but I can't force myself to do anything. I can't open my mouth, can't pull him closer. I can't move. I've been paralyzed, my body has shut down.

He pulled back, oh god, what does he think. He thinks he was right. He thinks I don't want to kiss him. He thinks I only said those things because I was drunk. Well, I'm not drunk now.

"Jack?" He questions in that low rumbling voice. I can feel his weight becoming lesser, and I assume he's sat up.

I open my eyes, searching the darkness for even the slightest shadow, reflection, something, anything. I can't see. I can't see because my eye sight is shit in the dark. I can't see the look on his face, or that gleam in his eyes. I can't see anything. But I know he can see me. I can feel his eyes; he's looking into my eyes. He knows I'm trying to see him, and that I can't.

"Yes?" I finally choke out.

"If you want me to go…" He trailed off.

"No, no. Don't go. Please." I stammered. Why can't I say anything? Why is this so damned hard?

"I shouldn't have come in here. I shouldn't have done this. I'm sorry." He tries to stand. I can't let him go. Not now that I've finally got him in here, with me, where I want him.

I reach out into the darkness, blindly groping the air for any part of him, to make him stay. I guess he can see me, he moved so my hand grabbed his. "Don't go, Riddick."

He sighed, one of those long heavy sighs, the ones that last forever, the ones you hear when you know someone is frustrated. "Okay kid."

There he goes with that kid bullshit again. God! Why can't he let it go?

Sitting up on my bed letting my feet dangle over the edge, my blankets drop from around my chest, and I know he can see me. He sees my tiny black tank top, even though I know he doesn't know what color it is, and he can also see that I am not wearing any pants. Again, I can feel his eyes moving over my body, and honestly, it doesn't bother me. I gave his hand a tug, letting him know I want him to sit with me.

For a second he tries to resist, but gives in, just like I knew he would. The bed shifted when his weight pressed down upon it, almost causing me to slide down on top of him. I reposition myself, staring through the darkened room to my right because I know that's where he is, and I smile.

"Where are you?" I ask.

He takes my hand, the one he never let go of, and put it on his cheek with his hand on top of it. He lets me caress his face, his jaw bone, his forehead, his nose. He lets me rest my palm against his chin and trace his lips with my thumb. He shows me how to see in the dark, how to see him.

_End Jack's POV

* * *

_

Riddick sat there, right beside Jack, as her hand explored every inch of his face. He had noticed she was only wearing a small tank top and panties, and that was what captivated him the most. He'd never seen her wearing so little clothes. Yes, he'd seen her in a towel, which was one reason for that rule, but even towels cover more than the clothing she was wearing. His eyes explored every part of her body he could see. He watched as her eyes moved in their sockets, straining to see him, he watched her skin erupt in goose bumps when her thumb found his lips, he saw the shiver course throughout her body and how her breasts heaved as her breathing became heavier. It was all he could do to contain himself. He didn't know why she hadn't exactly returned his kiss, but he didn't want to push her into anything. He wasn't about to take advantage of her.

After several long minutes of her tracing his lips with her thumb, feeling the stubble on his chin, she leaned closer to him. Pausing, only for a second before she replaced her hand with her lips. This time, he let her make the move; he let her do what she wanted with him. His only response to her kiss was wrapping his left arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and placing his right hand in her soft brown hair. Everything else was up to her.

Jack traced his bottom lip lightly with her tongue, thinking for a moment he was going to resist her kiss. Before she knew it, he had parted his lips and granted her tongue entrance. Their tongues slid against each other, fighting for dominance, dancing together. His arms felt so warm on her shivering body, she needed his warmth. Minutes into the kiss, Jack broke away and placed several small, sweet, kisses on his chin, both of his cheeks, then down his jaw bone and to his neck. Riddick could feel the beast within him beginning to stir, and that wasn't good. He had two choices, end this now, or take it all the way. Neither of which seemed like the right thing to do. She was so young, he was so old.

"Jack…" He breathed.

With one last nibble on his neck she looked up. "Yes?"

"Jack, we can't… I can't…"

"Riddick, I'm not drunk. I'm not a child. And I love you. What's wrong with this?" She asked, slightly confused.

That was all he needed to hear. It was on now.

With one swift movement, he had Jack lying back on the bed and he was on top of here, careful not to crush her with his weight. His eyes shimmered, did that cold thing, as he stared down into her face. The mixture of pinks, purples, and grey, were more beautiful that he ever remembered. Even though he couldn't properly see her, he saw her. He saw the lust burning in her eyes, that look of wanting etched on her face, that nervous shake in her veins. She hadn't said anything when she found herself under him, hadn't said a single word, he hadn't expected her to. Propping himself up on one elbow, his left, he placed a series of kisses from her cheek to her collarbone and back, only then capturing her soft lips with his. His right and snaked its way around her waist and pulled her up, closer to him. Within seconds of his beginning the kiss, Riddick's insides were set on fire, a fire he'd never known.

Jack's small hands fumbled between her stomach and his at the buttons of his shirt. She cursed those damned buttons for being so many, in her head. For some reason, she'd lost the feeling in her fingers and was finding it very difficult to do a task as simple as unbuttoning a few buttons. Riddick sensed her frustration so in between kisses, he reached up with both hands, temporarily letting her go, and ripped the front of his shirt open, sending buttons sailing every where and threw it to his left. Jack suppressed a giggle when one of the buttons hit her in the cheek, and reunited her lips with his. Once she was happy with having his arm back around her waist, and being pressed into his chest, she moved both of her hands around to Riddick's back and tugged his white A-shirt from the waist of his pants. Pulling the shirt up as far as she could, she wrapped both arms around his back and pulled him closer, if that was possible.

Riddick, being slightly annoyed at the position of his shirt, which was at this time more around his neck than anything, broke away from her again and pulled it off over his head, discarding it to the floor. Jack half expected him to tear that one as well, but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't. Riddick's chest, now being free from all material, felt so warm and inviting against Jack's small frame. She clung onto his back with every thing inside her as he began kissing her again. Only this time, his kisses trailed from her jaw to her ear where he nibbled lightly on her ear lobe, warranting a soft moan from her. That was what he was going for. In return for the surge of emotions that was sent through her body, Jack pushed her arms between his, against his ribcage and brought her hands up over his shoulders, pulling him closer so she may return his teasing.

She nibbled on his neck up around to his chin then to his bottom lip. From there she trailed small, wet, kisses across his throat toward his left shoulder. Riddick didn't know how much more of this he could take, somewhere between the time he had removed his undershirt and the time when Jack bit down on his left shoulder, his right arm moved from under her and his hand now cupped her breast. He had noticed a time or two, how perfect and supple her breasts were, but never how large they were. Not too large, but a little more than a handful, which was all he needed. Taking her labored breathing into consideration, he decided it was time to take the next step; it was her turn to start losing clothes.

His weight receded as he sat back on the bed, between her legs, on his arse, and said in that deep rumbling voice, "Come here," as he tugged at her arms.

Jack smiled and let him guide her up into a sitting position. She simply stared into the darkness between them as she felt his hand caress her cheek then his finger tips make a trail down her throat to that valley between her breasts. Without a second's hesitation, Riddick captured her neck with his mouth and began sucking lightly while he let his hands drop to the hem of her tank top. Pulling his lips away from her neck, he tugged her tank top up over her head and discarded it somewhere behind him. What he saw then caused every hormone in his body to scream at him, which in turn began developing a slight bulge in his pants and awoke the beast fully. The moment her tank top was ripped away, her breasts did a sort of dance on her chest, finally having been released from their pesky restraint. He'd subconsciously glanced at them from time to time, but at that moment, he was full out staring at them.

The beast was telling him to tear her panties off and ravish her right then and there. The beast wanted to be fed, needed her to fulfill its desire. But the non-animalistic side of Riddick told him to proceed with caution. The struggle between the two became more difficult as his eyes watched the two wondrous mounds rise and fall with her breathing. Usually, in circumstances far different from these, the beast won. But that was when he'd been a monster, back when he killed simply for the thrill, when he didn't have a care in the world, other than staying out of slam. This was now, and she was Jack. She wasn't just some floozy he could use and discard. She was so much more, she meant so much more. Temporarily appeasing the beast would just have to be enough, he wasn't going to fuck this up.

Riddick grabbed Jack by the waist, with both hands, and pulled her onto his lap, causing her to have to wrap her legs around his waist; instantaneously covering her lips with his. He slid his arms under hers and brought his hands to rest on her shoulders and he kissed her with a passion he'd never known.

Jack, being the eighteen year old she was, thought she might explode if something more didn't happen, and soon. She was all for being as close to him as possible, and always had been, but what they were doing now was driving her mad. The way her breasts pressed into his muscle bound chest, the way his hands grasped her shoulders, the heat in his kisses, it was all too much for her. This was it; she knew she had to do something if this was going to progress. And she knew exactly what she was going to do.

As she returned his kisses, she moved her hips only slightly against his, grinding herself into his lap. After only five or six movements of her hips, a low, deep growl escaped his lips. That was her sign that it was working, that and the small bit of pressure she felt pushing against her core from beneath his pants. Not being to take any more of his not being where he wanted to be, Riddick pushed Jack back on the bed, off his lap, and put himself between her legs. He hadn't been rough with pushing her, just hurried. Again, he propped himself up with his left but with his right, he groped Jack's breasts. Cupping her right breast in his hand, he squeezed only minimally, and placed a series of kisses around her hardening nipple. Once the nipple was fully erect, after a few wisely placed kisses and flicks of his tongue, he covered it with his mouth and massaged it with his tongue. As his mouth had taken the place of his hand, he had to find another use for it. Moving slowly down her stomach then slipping his thumb under the waist band of her panties, he caused her body, once again, to erupt in goose bumps.

Taking a break from his suckling, Riddick leaned closer to her face and hissed under her chin then moved his hand to massage her center, over her panties. He wasn't too surprised to find a bit of dampness where he had only just moved his hand too which did please him. Though his same thoughts were there, 'she's too old, you're too young,' he knew he wasn't forcing her into anything. She was there, underneath him because she wanted to be, not because he was making her be there. Jack shifted under him, pushing her self against his hand.

This was the time he needed to be certain of just how far she wanted to take their situation. "Jack," he whispered, "are you sure you want to do this?"

Her response was only nodding her head, knowing he saw it even if she couldn't see him.

Without further hesitation, he grabbed the waist band of her panties and pushed them as far down as he could, being in his current position. He lifted himself off of her, returning to his sitting position, and removed them completely. There she was, in all of her naked glory, right before him. She was more beautiful than he had ever noticed. Every thing about her pink, purple, grey, appearance excited him. The beast, again, reared its ugly head, in return causing Riddick's erection to extend to its full size. His discomfort was only momentary though, because just as Jack felt her panties had been removed, she sat up in bed and reached out for the button of his pants. This time, her fingers did not falter, she found the button and quickly unfastened it. With his assistance, she removed his pants completely and wasn't shocked to find out she was right in the assumption he never wore underwear.

_'I knew it!' _She thought.

But her thoughts were interrupted when Riddick pushed his weight against her, knocking her back on the bed. He assumed his previous position and this time kissed her roughly. As the heat in their kissing grew, he moved his hand between her thighs to massage the folds of flesh which hid away her center. When he was sure she was ready, he slipped his middle finger inside her and caused her to moan into his lips. Jack grabbed his shoulders with both hands and squeezed her eyes tightly shut in sheer pleasure. Moving his hand slowly he continued kissing her lips, then her throat and finally down to her other breast. After a few moments of that same process, he slipped a second finger inside her, and again was rewarded with a moan. Five minutes, possibly six passed and the pleasure inside Jack built so quickly she knew she would climax soon.

Feeling the beast would tolerate no more of this game; Riddick removed his fingers from inside her and pressed the tip of his erection against her. Again he stopped kissing her and said, "Jack, do you want to do this?"

Jack nodded frantically and whispered, "Yes, Riddick. I'm sure."

Without another thought, he pressed himself against her until he was granted entrance. He was only a fourth of the way inside her when she gasped and he stopped moving. After a second or two, he grasp his manhood in his hand, to better guide himself further into her, and pushed again. When he felt resistance, he knew she had been a virgin, and immediately stopped his movement. Again, he let a few seconds go by then covered her lips with his and thrust himself completely inside her, removing his hand as he did so. Jack moaned as his length filled her, and gave a slight cry of pleasure and pain. As his thrusts continued, she moved her arms around his rib cage and dug her finger nails into his shoulders. Finally getting to a pace he was comfortable with, and thought she was, Riddick placed both of his arms under Jack's shoulders and wound his fingers in her hair. His pace steadily increased as his movement became easier, and the tightness around his erection made it difficult for him to hold back. He hadn't been with a woman in longer than he cared to admit, and he damn sure wasn't going to blow it before he pushed her over the edge.

Riddick took care not to be to rough with her, because this was her first time, but the beast was clawing at his insides, telling him to take her, to make her scream his name. He refused, for possibly the first time ever, he was able to resist the beast within him, and it was all because she loved him. Because he loved her.

Possibly fifteen minutes into their session, Jack moaned loudly, much louder than she had been, and he felt her walls contract against him. With one quick thrust she climaxed and gave yet another, very loud, moan, then with a second, he groaned and spilled his seed too quickly, inside her.

The beast was satisfied.

* * *

A/N: Okay, here it is. The one we've all been waiting on. I do hope it wasn't a disappointment. And it has not been beta'ed because it is 4:07 am and no one, except me, is awake to beta it. I do hope it isn't too terrible. And do, please, let me know what you think. (I personaly thought 'the beast' was a great sort of twist, but you may not.) Sway 


	12. Chapter 12 The Unexpected

Chapter 12

The Unexpected

Morning came and the sun rose, Jack awoke hours after Riddick had, and found herself alone in her bed. A smile crossed her lips as the memory of what the night had held came flooding back. She moved under her sheets, attempting to stretch, but the pain in her muscles quickly caused her to stop. She whimpered and groaned as she thought, _'Damn, I need to be more active. I really hope I don't feel like this every time.' _

Being careful, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood up, again trying to stretch. She smiled again when she saw the pile of her clothing in the middle of the floor. Apparently Riddick had taken his clothes with him when he left. She wasn't surprised; she knew how much he hated to leave clothes lying around. Quickly she threw on a pair of panties, some athletic type shorts, and a black tank top. Taking her hair down from it's, now very messy pony tail, she brushed it out then put it back up, and walked out of her bedroom. She didn't see Riddick anywhere. He wasn't in the bathroom, because the door was open and there was no sound, nor was he in his bedroom. She walked down the hallway, hoping he would be in the living room, but was surprised to see the only thing in the living room was furniture. Shrugging, she walked through the dining room into the kitchen. That was when she saw a piece of paper stuck to the refrigerator.

She tore the note off the refrigerator and read it aloud.

Jack,

I had to go out for a while. I will be back by dinner time.

I didn't want to wake you when I left so please don't be mad.

I'll see you tonight.

-Riddick

Jack groaned, crumpled the note into a small wadded ball in her fist and threw it into the trash bin. She didn't know why but for some reason she wasn't at all happy that Riddick had left her alone. She didn't know how long he'd been gone or even when he was coming back. Sure he said in his note that he would be back for dinner, but that wasn't a specific time. Dinner never occurred at the same time, on any night. She huffed and walked back into the living room.

* * *

_Jack's POV_

I threw myself down on the couch and flipped the television on. Surprisingly enough the movie we'd started last night was still playing. No, the actual movie wasn't on but the menu was up. Apparently Riddick hadn't taken the time to turn everything off properly. I can't believe he was actually going to watch this with me. Ha ha, I got Riddick to watch a chick flick, something in life are so wonderful. And most of those things just happen to have something to do with him… What the hell happened last night? My god… It was everything I've ever dreamed it would be and so much more. He's wonderful, I'm wonderful, this house is wonderful… Okay so everything is just wonderful.

And now, here's that stupid ass grin… Damn. I know how stupid I look when I smile and frankly, it's pretty stupid. My teeth show and my lips get all thin and stretched looking. I have to stop smiling. But I can't. Ha. Isn't that funny?

Why hell no, it isn't funny! It's stupid! Fucking grin.

On to something totally different now…There is officially nothing on the television and I sure as hell am not going to watch this shitty movie. But why is it that I can't get him out of my head? It's so stupid; I'm just like some little thirteen year old girl again… Wait, that's how old I was when I met him… He was my idol then. He was everything and now he is everything! I'm so fucking stupid. Like it meant anything to him. And I told him I love him… That was dumb. FUCK! Why do I make things so complicated?

That's it. I've had enough of my thinking, it gets me no where and fast. This is stupid. And there isn't a damn thing I can watch to get my mind off of this shit. So, I'm going to turn this off and go… Take a shower, yeah, that's it, I'm going to take a shower.

_End Jack's POV

* * *

_

Jack took an extra long shower, longer than even her normal showers. The main reason for the long shower was to try and alleviate some of the tenderness in her muscles. No, she wasn't exactly aching allover, but she did have a fair bit of pain, that was to be expected though. It wasn't like she often used the muscles she had while she was with Riddick. But she thought this little pain was well worth it. She, for some reason, couldn't convince herself that she hadn't dreamed the whole thing, but the soreness in her muscles told a different story. It all just seemed too good to be true.

Once she was out of the shower, dry, and dressed in a pair of form fitting light wash jeans and a navy blue fitted t-shirt, with no shoes, of course, she decided it was time she cleaned her room. Cleaning her room included stripping her bedding from her bed and washing it. It wasn't that her bed was dirty; she just couldn't stomach having to sleep in her sheets unless they were washed. It just didn't seem very hygienic to sleep in them since she knew how much she'd… sweat last night.

Cleaning was one way she could busy herself and pass the time until Riddick was back home. Jack didn't quite know what she was going to say to him, or if she could even face him when he did come home, but she kept herself busy so she wouldn't think about it. The more she thought about what happened, the more she doubted herself and Riddick. It wasn't healthy to keep having negative thoughts and that was one thing she knew for sure, even if she didn't know anything else.

* * *

_Riddick's POV_

I can honestly say getting out of that bed this morning was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I didn't want to disturb her by leaving but I have to work. There are thing I am responsible for and my job is one of those things. If I hadn't heard that damn phone going off, I wouldn't have had to leave… Damn my heightened senses.

So, 'The Man' informed me that Rockwell will be moving planets very soon and I am to take care of him just as soon as the opportunity presents its self. I don't see what the big deal is, but again, I'm not paid for thinking. I'm paid to take care of these fucks and that's what I plan to do. My recon hasn't exactly been what it's supposed to lately, but I do have other things I have to do as well. What kind of a man would I be if I didn't do something for the kid on her birthday… The kid, ha ha. I guess I can't really call her that anymore. But I'm right, she is just a kid. What the hell did I do?

What was I thinking? Apparently I wasn't thinking, that's the problem. I don't know what possessed me to let things get that far. I'm too old for her, she's just a kid, and what I did to her wasn't right.

But I keep hearing her words ringing in my ears. Even though her voice was barely a whisper, the words seem to be shouted in my head. 'Riddick, I love you.' It's over and over again.

I sighed heavily. I can't think about this right now, I need to be focused. What the hell would happen to me if I went in and didn't concentrate on the business at hand? I'd probably fuck up and end up getting hurt, definitely not killed because I'm the one that does the killing, but hurt, maybe.

The train ride was as bearable as usual, though with less people than usual. Surprisingly I didn't have to glare once. But now I've got a hell of a walk ahead of me. I really don't want to be here today. I don't want to be at home either… There are too many things I need to sort out. Fucking sidewalk. Look at all of these mindless idiots walking about. What the hell are they in such a hurry for anyway? I'm the one that's got business to do, and it doesn't have to do with computerized equipment.

Twenty minutes, I've walked for twenty minutes. And for what? To get the privilege of standing outside some building waiting for a man that I could give a shit about.

What in fuck's name was I thinking when I decided to go back to doing this? I should just be killing people I want to kill, instead of killing people others want me to kill. Hell, at least I get paid for it.

Well, I'm here and, I don't see him. I don't see him anywhere. Nor do I see that bimbo I saw him with last time I was here. I better not have just had to leave Jack at home to come out here and not find him. I will definitely have to bust someone's fucking head if I made this trip for nothing.

_End Riddick's POV

* * *

_

Riddick waited outside Kent Rockwood's building for just over two hours and hadn't seen a single sign that the man was inside. Finally, he gave up, a little more than frustrated, and began his walk home. He'd wasted most of his day waiting on a man that he couldn't even find. Nothing infuriated him more than when things didn't go his way, and nothing seemed to be going right since the time he woke up. He was going to get home to Jack and just have a nice quiet evening with her and dinner.

The more he thought about the fact that he'd just wasted his day, the angrier he became. And the angrier he became, the more the beast stirred. The beast didn't just become active when he wanted the attention of a woman, it also became active when Riddick was angry, and well, this was about the time for it to read its ugly head. It was never a good thing when the beast came out, especially when Riddick was furious, and he was well on his way there.

* * *

Jack sat curled up on the couch, watching television, she couldn't think of anything better to do since she'd finished cleaning her room hours ago. She wasn't sure how long exactly it had taken her to settle on watching some show about sexually based crimes, for some reason she really liked those. Not to mention, the main male character was pretty attractive. She was deeply submersed in the show when she was startled by a banging sound on the front door. She turned down the volume on the television, hoping the sound had come from her show, but it hadn't and she knew it.

Before she knew what had happened, the front door swung open, nearly coming off its hinges. Jack jumped off the couch only to move into the line of sight of some man she'd never seen. She had expected to see Riddick standing there, but that's not who she saw. No, the man she saw definitely wasn't Riddick. This man was a bit shorter than him but built like him, and had dark hair and wore a sinister grin.

Without a seconds more hesitation, Jack turned to run away. Just as she'd turned she was grabbed from behind and thrown into the wall of the living room, causing her to hit her head. The last thing she saw as she fell was the man standing over her with that same grin plastered on his face. Right before she passed out she thought, 'Oh god.'

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, I suck! I'm sorry it's been so long, but I've had a hell of a time with this chapter, and I really do hope it isn't as big a pile of shit as I think it is. Do let me know what you think, please! I'm beggin here... And suggestions are more than welcom, I need some ideas! But you have to ask your self this; Who is this mistery man and why is he in Jack and Riddick's house? think about that then review for me ;) please? Sway

* * *


	13. Chapter 13 Business

Chapter 13

Business

_Riddick's POV _

Why in god's name does every fuck face in this sector have to use public transit? I can't stand the fucking subway. There's always some ass hole bumping into you or someone that smells like three day old ass standing right beside you. What the fuck is wrong with people? I fucking hate this city. It's a pile of steaming shit and the people here fit right in. Upper class, my ass. Once this job is done, I'm moving out of here. Turning this shit hole to the back end of my ship and never looking back. Fucking upper class pricks. Thinking they can push me around.

I scoffed, which drew the attention of many of the people standing around me. Giving them the 'go straight to hell' glare, I continued to stand with my arms crossed over my chest, leaning against the side of the train. Upper class mother fuckers.

It's bad enough I wasted my time going all the way across town and the ass hole wasn't even around. Now I've had to stay on the fucking train for too long with all kinds of people, I think I'd rather just kill them all while I was there and not have to deal with them. Today is definitely not the day to fuck with me. These people had better just stay the fuck in their own little space and not bump into me; I'll have to get physical if they do. I could really go for a good fight. I haven't had one of those in… well… ever, I guess.

What does a man have to do to get an opponent worthy of his time? Weak ass mother fuckers. The best thing they've got is 'Fuck you.' Fuck me? Ha. No, fuck you. Do these people not realize I hold their lives in my hands? Am I not terrifying enough? There was a time when any ass hole that crossed my path knew not to fuck with me. I have literally seen grown men piss their pants.

What happened?

I've got to do something to get my persona back up, get that boost.

Oh, yeah, I can't. I'm dead.

I chuckled to myself. Yeah, I'm pretty fucking spry for a corpse.

_End Riddick's POV_

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_

An hour later Riddick walked quickly down the sidewalk of the grid he and Jack lived. He was in no mood for any of the beggars or the prostitutes; he would rather take his shiv to their jugular than have to look at them, at that moment. If the fact that he'd wasted much of his morning waiting on a man he couldn't find wasn't the one thing that pissed him off, it had to be the heat. Heat did have the capability of pissing him off royally, and it was raging hot outside.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and across the lenses of his goggles, pooling in that dip between the eyepiece and his lower eyelid. Frustrated he closed his eyes and tore his goggles off with one hand. Wiping the sweat away with his other hand he let out a long exasperated sigh. "Fuck." Quickly he replaced his goggles and adjusted the strap around the back of his head. Not too much longer and he would be home, he would take his shower, and possibly spend some time talking with Jack, but that's if he felt like talking after his shower.

His house was still so far down the damned grid and he wasn't sure if he could make the walk without killing at least three people. That grid, he'd been told, was one of the better ones; it was supposed to have less prostitution. But, as it turned out, his source was a pathological liar and only did things for their own benefit, so he was unreliable. Riddick cursed the day he'd decided to make a home on that planet. He hated every planet in that sector, all six of them. Though he'd never been to Healion Three, further down in the Tanger system, he though often about going there. He'd heard the heat wasn't that bad, it was the sand storms you had to look out for. But even with sand storms, any place was better than Tangent Twelve, in the Origanic System, which is where he now was. He even heard, from some ass hole on Tangent Twelve, there'd been another crash on that planet in the New Tangier system, where he and Jack only barely escaped. For a few seconds he actually felt sorry for those people, felt sorry for them because they didn't have him there to save their asses.

Suddenly, for some reason, he was pulled out of his thoughts and stood some five hundred feet or so from his house. The strange thing was the front door. He was positive he'd shut and locked the thing upon his leaving but now it was hanging loosely, half crooked, and open. That was when only one thing entered his mind. Jack.

His mind raced in the few seconds it took him to run from where he stood to the door of his house. Once inside, his thoughts had been correct. The house was a mess and Jack was no where in sight. But he could smell her, her and something else… someone else. Stepping carefully into the house he surveyed his surroundings. Things were all over the floor, dishes, broken dishes, their movies, their whole entertainment system, the couch was thrown upside down; the whole house was a wreck. But he wasn't concerned with that at the moment. No, his focus was on Jack and where she was.

As he stepped further into the house a faint noise caught his attention, one a normal person, with non animalistic characteristics, probably wouldn't have heard. He knew that sound, and he knew exactly where it was coming from.

Running into his bedroom, he saw a large man with dark hair laying face down on his bed, struggling with something beneath him. The man immediately shot up, off the bed, and turned around to face Riddick.

Riddick only glanced up at the man for a second before his eyes returned to the bed. It was Jack, that's what the man had been struggling with. She was lying on top of Riddick's bed with half of her clothes torn off, but she wasn't moving. He knew she wasn't dead, corpses, for some reason, no matter how recently killed, had a distinct smell to him. He thought it was because he'd been around so many of them in his life he just knew that smell, but was glad Jack didn't have it.

Directing his attention back to the man he flexed the muscles in his jaw. He recognized that man; he knew exactly who he was and didn't have to ask but did anyway. "Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?" His voice held that dangerously low growl, the one that most people feared.

The man laughed. He actually laughed.

Straightening the sleeves of his white dress shirt he replied, "You know who I am just as well as I know who you are."

Riddick's eyes gleamed behind his goggles as he crossed his arms over his heaving chest. He knew if he could just get this man to talk, he wouldn't hurt Jack, and when he was least expecting it, Riddick would pounce. "You didn't answer my question. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I would think that'd be perfectly clear, Richard Riddick." The man snorted.

"Look," Riddick dropped his hands to his sides, "You've got no business with her, your business is with me. Or should I say my business is with you, Kent J. Rockwood."

"Yes, very smart man, aren't you." Rockwood answered seeming to be very bored with the situation. "You know, your reputation does exceed you. I half expected to be dead already. Guess you aren't such a bad ass after all."

Riddick cracked his neck. "You want to know about my reputation? Let me fucking show you how much you don't know about me."

Having just finished his statement, Riddick lunged forward, hitting Rockwood directly in the throat with his forearm. When Rockwood's back slammed down into the hard floor Riddick shoved his foot down on the man's chest and stared down at him. "Not such a smart ass now are you?"

Rockwood laughed, again, and pointed toward the closed behind Riddick.

Before Riddick knew what happened, his world began spinning around him and everything went black. He didn't even feel it when his head hit the corner of his dresser, nor did he feel the searing pain in his back. All he saw was blackness, blackness and that image of Jack lying half naked on his bed.

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I do apologize for my tardiness in updating. I've developed a nice case of writers block on this one and it was all I could do to finish this chapter. Hopefully the block will lift soon and I will be able to continue, but for now, I feel obligated to tell you, I'm afraid I will have to abandon this one, only for a little while though. But any and all suggestions are welcome, that's a given, as always. Sway


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